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THE STANDARD LIBRARY 



OF 



Natural History 



EDITORS AND SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS: 

Charles J. Cornish, F. C. Selous, Ernest Ingersoll, Sir Harry Johnston, K.C.B., 

Sir Herbert Maxwell, F.R.S., H. N. Hutchinson, F.R.G.S., 

J. W. Gregory, F.G.S., R. Lydekkcr, F.R.S., 

F.Z.S., and many other eminent . . 

naturalists * 

Fully Illustrated from Actual Photographs 

Q 

Vol. I 

LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 

Mammals 



PUBLISHED BY 

THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY INC. 

NEW YORK 



Copyright, 1908 
By THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY Inc. 






0^ 

/7s 



The Standard Library of 
NATURAL HISTORY 



Volumes I.-III. : Living Animals of the World 



VOLUME I. 



r^:i09l3 



Volumes I-III 

LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



SUMMARY OF CONTENTS 



BOOK I -MAMMALS 



INTRODUCTION (to Vom. I-m) i-vui 

CHAPTER I 

APES. MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 

Man-like Apes: The Chimpanzee — Its resemblance 
to man; first accounts of it; description; '' Sally/' the 
educated specimen. The Gorilla — ^Earliest descrip- 
tions; as known to science. The Orang-utan — ^Three 
varieties; infoimation from Brooke and Wallace; a tree- 
living animal; in captivity. The Gibbons — Gentle and 
affectionate; various species. Monkeys — Immense va- 
riety; great family of true monkeys; grotesque Proboscis 
Monkey; Dog-shaped Monkeys; Sacred Monkeys of India; 
the clever Entellus; long-tailed Himalayan Langur, " a 
king of the Jungle"; the White-bearded Wanderoo (so 
wise-looking that he is called Nestor) and Great Wanderoo; 
Snub-nosed Monkeys. Guerezas and Guenons — Strik- 
ing hair and colours; very friendly; the Diana, an "organ 
monkey"; story of one on board sliip; the Grivet, Green, 
Mona, and Mangabey species. The Macaques — Many 
kinds described; the Magot, or Barbary Ape, the last 
European species, living on Gibraltar. Baboons — Most 
interesting of wold apes; descriptions and stories by 
scientists and travellers. Speech of Monkeys — ^Ex- 
periments of Gamer and others. American Monkeys—* 
Human-looking heads; Capuchins, '* nicest of all monkeys": 
many other species described. Lemurs — ^Homes and 
characteristics. True Lemurs — Varieties of the group. 
The Galaoos — Confined to tropical Africa. Slow 
Lemurs and Tarsiers — Found in India, Ceylon, and the 
Malav countries. The Aye-Aye — Most remarkable of 
weird lemuroids; its abnormal fingers 1-32 

CHAPTER II 

THE CAT TRIBE 

General description and list of animals included. Thb 
Lion — New lion countries opened up; stories of the lion's 
power and destructiveness confirmed. The African 
Lion — Full account by F. C. Selous; all Africa once 
roamed by lions; their destruction by firearms; nature's 
limit to their increase; description in detail; the lion's 
fear of man; lions rarely attacK in daytime; man-eaters. 
The Tiger — Found omy in Asia. Indian and northern 
tigers; Royal Bengal TiRer, "a ferocious savf^e"; Sir 
Samuel Baker's description; a terror to peasants; its hunt- 
ing habits; narrative of General Doudas Hamilton; tigers 
now scarce in India. Leopards— -Worse than tigers; 
various in size and colour; Chinese leopard; leopards are 
tree-living and nocturnal; story by Baker; tne Snow 
Leopard. American Cats— The Jaguar, savage and 
formidable; the Puma, its ferocity in the north; Hudson 
and Everard im Thum on its friendliness in South America; 
the Ooploty most beautiful of medium-sized cats; a tree 



cat, living on birds and monkeys; its coloration; Wilson's 
tame ocelot. Other Wild Cats — Clouded Leopard, 
Mottled Cat, Tibetan Tiger-cat, Fishine-cat, Geoff roy's 
Cat, Leopard-cat of Java and Japan, Marbled Cat, Rusty- 
spotted Cat, Bay Cat, Pampas-cat, Pallas' Cat, Golden 
Cat, Serval, Eyra Cat, Black-footed Wild Cat, Kaffir Cat, 
Jungle Cat, Egyptian Fettered Cat; all described, their 
habitats, characters, etc., clearly indicated. The Common 
Wild Cat — ^Tale of Bamborough church; Charles St. 
John's experience with a Scotch wild cat; range of the 
wild cat; worst of savages; recent studies; ancestry of 
domestic cats. LYNXES—Characters and home; Caracals, 
Common Lynx, Canadian Lynx, Northern Lynx, Red 
Lynx, Mediterranean or Spanish Lynx, Siberian Lynx. 
The Cheeta, or Hunting-Leopard— Widely dispersed: 
most dog-like of cats; its non-retractile claws; Lockwooa 
Kipling's charmiDg accoimt; Baker tells how a (Jheeta 
captured a buck. The Domestic Cat — Familiar account 
by Louis Wain; cats that retrieved; cunningof the semi- 
wild cat; critical observation of cats; the Tortoiseshell, 
national cat of Spain; the Black Cat; cat of St. Clement 
Danes Church; Wain's wonderful Peter; White Cats, Blue 
Cats, the Tabby, Sand-coloured Cat, Manx Cat, Siamese 
Royal Cat, Long-haired or Persian Cats; interesting de- 
senptions and narratives concerning these 33-73 

CHAPTER III 
THE FOSSA, CI\TTS, AND ICHNEUMONS 

The Fossa — A Madagascan genus. Civets and 
Genets — Deviation from the cat family; African and 
Indian Civets; Malabar, Javan, and Burmese Civets; the 
Rasse; Palm-civets; Bennett's Civet; Genets; Common 
Genet; Linsangs; Hemigales; the Binturong. Thb 
Mongoose and Ichneumon Family— Killers of snakes, 
etc.; Indian Mongoose, a " universal favourite"; killing a 
cobra; Egyptian Mongoose, or Ichneumon; Kafl&r Mon- 
goose; Cusimanses; Meerkats, or Suricates; r^sum^; dis- 
cussion of the comparative intelligence of animals thus 
far described 74-^ 

CHAPTER IV 

THE HYiENAS AND AARD-WOLF 

The HYiENA — His business; Dean Buckland's demon- 
stration; Brown Hysena; Spotted HyaBna; its attacks on ' 
animals and men; described by Sclater, Drummond, and 
Baker; Striped Hyaena. The Aard-wolf — A family by 
itself 80-82 

CHAPTER V 

THE DOG FAMILY 

Animals included. The Wolf — Great enemy of man; 
where found: anecdotes oi its exploits; Rudyard Kip- 
ling's *' heroic " picture; General Hamilton's instance; 



[ndian wolf; wolves in Siberia and Russia; breeding and 
Use of wolf-dogs; Theodore Roosevelt on wolf-coursing; 
Borzoi dogs imported into America; wolves eat human 
corpses; they interbreed with dogs; the Coyote, or Prairie- 
wolf, common in western North America; its habits; 
destroying gray wolves and coyotes; change of habit; 
wolves and stringed instruments; tamed wolves; Siberian 
methods with wolves; the Jackal; habits in wild and tame 
states; two African species; service to man; Baden- 
Powell's hunt; the Maned Wolf, a South American species; 
Wild Dogs of Africa and India; Rudyard Kipling's 
stories; the Dineo, Australian dog. The Foxes — Gen- 
eral characters, nomes, and habits; fur and colouring; 
Red Canadian Fox; Cross Fox; famous Silver Fox; 
stunted Arctic Foxes; Desert-foxes; Bengal Fox: Common 
Fox; extraordinary runners; Tom Smith's nunt; the 
Fennecs. Domestic Dogs--C. H. Lane's description; 
various groups; the Borzoi, Otter-hound, Bloodhound, 
Pointers, Setters, Retrievers, Spaniels, Basset-hounds, 
Dachshunds, Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Newfound- 
lands, Mastiffs, Bulldogs, Collies, Old English Sheep-dogs, 
Dalmatians, Poodles, Terriers, Chows, Pomeranians, 
Pugs, Toys, Italian Greyhounds, Griffons Brusselois, 
African feand-dog. Pariah Puppies; description of the 
species, their resemblances and differences 84-112 

CHAPTER VI 

THE BEARS 

General description; cave-bears; the Common Brown 
Bear; Grizzly Bear, American Brown Bear, Syrian Bear, 
American Black Bear, Indian Sloth-bear, Isabelline Bear 
and the Himalayan Black Bear, Malayan Sun-bear, 
Polar Bear; specific treatment of each animal; the Polar 
Bear — better called Ice-bear — most interesting of all; 
accounts derived from Arctic explorers 114-124 

CHAPTER VII 

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA 

The Raccoon Family — Raccoon, Coatis, Pandas, 
Kinkajou. The Otters — Short-toed Otter, North Amer- 
ican Otter, Common Otter, Sea-otter. The Skunbb — 
Their most effective equipment. The Badgers — Sand- 
badgers, Ferret-badgers, Cape Zorilla, European Badger; 
anecdotes of tame badgers; the Ratels. The Weasel 
Tribe— <3eneral characteristics; Martens, Sable, Mink, 
Polecat, Weasel, the Stoat, or Ermine, the Glutton, or 
Wolverine 125-136 

CHAPTER VHI 

MARINE CARNIVORA: THE SEALS, SEA-LION, 
AND WALRUS 

Gassification and characteristics; Eared Seals or Sea- 
lions, Fur-seals, Hair-seals, including the large sea-lions; 
the Walrus, True Seals, Common Seal, Harp-seal, Ringed 
Seal, Bladder-nosed Seal, Elephant-seal; oescriptions of 
the different species, their homes and habits, capture, 
respective uses and values; experiences and observations 
of explorers and scientists 13G-144 

CHAPTER IX 

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 

One general type of teeth; nimierous families, genera, 
and species; great fecundity. Squirrels — Found in 
most of the temperate regions; Red Squirrel, representative 
of the whole order; Gray Sc^uirrel; gray-and-black squirrel 
of the United States; Flying-squirrels, several varieties 



described; Ground-squirrels; Chipmunk of the United 
States. Frairie-dogb and Marmots — Comparison with 
squirrels; burrowing habit; Alpine Marmot; other species. 
The Beavers — Destroyed for fur; history in Europe; in 
Canada; their engineering and dams. Dormice — Hiber- 
nation; species eaten by Romans; two main groups. The 
Mouse Tribe — Includes Mice, Rats, and Voles; types 
and groups; Hamsters, Vcles, Water-rat, Lemming; 
Muskrat; typical rats and mice; Brown Rat, Black Rat, 
Black-and-wnite Rat, House-mouse, Harvest-mouse, 
Wood-mouse, Bandicoot; Mole-rats, Bamboo-rats, the 
Sand-rat. The Gophers — Curious American rodents. 
Jerboas, Springhaas, and Jumping-mice — Hopping 
rodents, found in many countries. Cape Jumping-hare 
— A family by itself. The Octodont Family — ^American 
and African; named from molar teeth; species. Porcu- 
pines — ^Tree-climbers and ground-d Aellers. Viscachas 
AND Chinchillas — South American rodents. Agutis 
AND Pa CAS — Also South American. Cavies — Repre- 
sented by the guinea-pig, etc. Pikas, Hares, and 
Rabbits — ^Type and distribution; the hare mentioned by 
Csesar; its habits; instinct of concealment 146-164 

CHAPTER X 

THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING ANIMALS 

Description by W. P. Pycraft. Bats — Only members 
of the Mammalia with power of true flight; Fruit-bats, 
Insect-eating Bats, Sucker-footed Bats, White Bats, 
Naked Bats, Vampire-bats, Javelin-bats. Insecfivora, 
OR Flightless Insect-eaters — The Cobego, Shrews, 
Hedgehogs, and Tenrecs; the Moles; perfect adaptation 
to underground life; many curious haoits 165-171 

CHAPTER XI 

THE ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, AND 
RHINOCEROS 

Chapter by F. C. Selous, hunter, explorer, and naturalist. 
The Elephant — Most interesting of animals; two species; 
full description, with accounts of travellers; ancient do- 
mestication; an intelligent African elepliant. Tapirs 
AND Hyrax — Instructive account by Pycraft. The 
Rhinoceros — Copious history and description by Selous; 
life, habits, and character of the rhinoceros; hunting 
experiences 172-188 

CHAPTER XII 

THE HORSE TRIBE 

Zebras — Classification and characteristics; various 
species; Burchell's Zebra; anecdotes of the capture and 
training of zebras; hybridising; the Quagga. Wild 
Asses — African and Asiatic described and compared; 
" perfection of activity and courage." Domesticated 
Horse, Asses, and Mules — Are wild horses extinctT 
history of domestication; structure ot the horse; observa- 
tions of Danvin and Flower; the Arab Horse: the Barb; 
Levant and Persian Horses; English Race-horse; the 
Trotting-horse; the Pacer; the Hunter; Shetland Pony; 
l^art-horses; Asses; Mules 189-206 

CHAPTER XIII 

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS: OXEN, 
BISON, BUFFALOES, AND MUSK-OX 

These animals classed as Ungulates, or Hoofed Mam- 
mals; general description. British Park Oattle, and 
THE Aurochs — ^Their descent; wild oxen of Caesar's time; 
present herds. Some Domesticated Cattle— Jerse^ 



cows; the Shorthorn; Hereford Cattle; Highland Cattle; 
Sussex Cattle; Devons; Welsh Cattle; Angus breed; 
Suffolks; Longhom breed; Humped Cattle of India and 
Africa. Wild Oxen — The Gaur, or Indian Bison; 
Hamilton's account of a hunt; the Gayal; the Banting; 
the Yak. The Bison — A marked group; European 
Bison; American Bison. The Buffaloes — African 
Buffalo; Congo Buffalo; Indian (Water-buffalo); the 
Tamarau and Anoa. The Musk-ox — Former and 
present homes; description 207-220 

CHAPTER XIV 

SHEEP AND GOATS 

The Sheep — Description, history, homes; European 
Moufflon; the Argalis; the Bighorn Sheep of America 
and Kamchatka; the Oorial; the Barbary Sneep; Aoudad, 
or Ami; the Burhal, or Blue Sheep; Domesticated Sheep; 
English Breeds of Sheep. The Goats — General char- 
acteristics, homes, and uses. Wild Goats — ^The Tur; 
Persian Wild Goat; Ibex; Markhor; theTahr; NilgiriTahr, 
or NUgiri Ibex; Rocky Moimtain Goat 221-238 

CHAPTER XV 

THE ANTELOPES 

The Hartebeests; Bontebok and Blesbok group; the 
Gnus; the Smaller Bucks; the Khpspringer; the Water- 
bucks; the Blackbuck of India; the Gazelles, numerous 
species; Roan Antelope; the Sable Antelope group; the 
^nus Oryx, various species; Bushbucks, leading species; 
the Sitatungas; the Greater Kudu; Lesser Kudu; the 
Elands; generic and specific types, homes, ranees, habits, 
etc., of these numerous animals described ^vith scientific 
understanding and discrimination 23^262 

CHAPTER XVI 

THE GIRAFFE AND OKAPI 

The Giraffe — ^Description by H. A. Bryden; South- 
em or Cape Giraffe; Nubian or Northern Giraffe; general 
charactenstics; homes; hunting. The Okapi — Described 
by Sir Harry Johnston; his discovery of this " entirely 
new ruminant"; his talk with Stanley; his dealings with 
dwarfs; naming the new genus 264-270 

CHAPTER XVII 

THE DEER TRIBE 

Non-domesticated ruminants; among noblest of mam- 
mals; wide distribution; importance to mankind; species 
known; the Reindeer; Elk, or Moose; Red Deer, past and 

g resent stalking; the Maral and Kashmir Stag; Wapiti; 
Roosevelt's description; experience of Selous; Bokhara 
Deer; Sikas; Fallow Deer; tlie Sambar, or Rusine Deer; 
Percy's account; species; Guillemard on Moluccan sam- 
bar; other typical deer; species described; the Muntjacs, 
or Barking-deer; Tufted Deer; Water-deer; Roe Deer; 
Millais's descriptions; P^re David's Deer; the American 
Deer; many species described; The Musk-deer; species; 
acclimatisation of deer; the German Emperor's hunting- 
parties; reindeer alone entirely domesticated. . . 271 -3W) 

CHAPTER XVIII 

THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHEVROTAINS 

Peculiar among ruminants, being hornless; other 
characteristics. Camels— The True Camel; Camel and 
Dromedary; the Bactrian Camel. The Llamas — ^The 
Vicufia; the Guanaco; Darwin's description; the Llama; 
the Alpaca. The Chevrotains— One of the smallest 
of hoofed animals; range and species 302-309 



CHAPTER XIX 

THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 

The Pig Tribe— Distinguishing features; the true 
Pigs; numerous species described, with accounts by 
various observers; the Babirusa; Wart-hogs; Peccaries; 
peculiar to America; two species; Roosevelt and Schom- 
Durgk cited. The Hippopotamus — ^Two species; the 
Common Hippopotamus; his life when free; his home 
and family or nerd; his capture and training; dental 
work; the PVgmy or Liberian Hippopotamus; very rare; 
its peculiar habits; a fossil species found 310-326 

CHAPTER XX 

THE DUGONG, MANATEES, WHALES, 
PORPOISES, AND DOLPHINS 

The Dugong and Manatees — Basis of mermaid 
legend; a distinct order; *' cows of the sea-pastures"; 
home and habits; the Tabernacle roofed with dugong- 
skin? Whales, Porpoises, and Dolphins — Whales 
are mammals; cetaceans all similar in form; whales 
separated from fishes; typical whales; the Narwhal; the 
Common Porpoise; the Dolphin; several species; economic 
value of whales 327-335 

CHAPTER XXI 

SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS 

Classed together on account of the peculiarities of their 
teeth. The Sloths — Ugly appearance; mode of life; 
strange locomotion; Bates on the sloth; the Megatheriiun; 
Moreno's discovery. The Ant-eaters — Unlike sloths, 
but related to them; species; Von Sack's experiment. 
Armadillos — Defensive armor; burrowing powers; flesh 
edible; the Pichiciago; the Peludo. Pangolins — Curious 
structure; use of the tail in climbing. The Aardvark 
(Earth-pig) — Named by Boers of the Cape; two species; 
remarkable teeth 336-342 

CHAPTER XXII 

MARSUPLALS AND MONOTREMES 

Complete description by W. Saville-Kent. Marsu- 
TiAia — Pouched Mammals; parent and young; genera 
and species; homes; relationsmps; variations of the pouch; 
the Kangaroos; typical of the order; size and strength of 
male of larger species; Pat and the boomer; doe kangaroos; 
food yield^ by the kangaroo; hunting kangaroos; Austra- 
lian methods; European settlers' hunt; association with 
Captain Cook; the name kangaroo; in captivity; various 
members of the kangaroo family; the Phalangers; arboreal 
life: leading species the Koala; in zoological gardens; male 
and female; correspondence to sloths; tvpical Phalangers, 
or Opossums; Flying-squirrels; story of Master Tiny, the 
Sugar-squirrel; Dr. Bennett's flying-phalanger; various 
phalangers described; the Cuscuses; anecdote by Wallace; 
tenacitv of life; association with higher mammals; Wom- 
bats; three species; power of staying under water; Bandi- 
coots; habits of various species; the Pouched Mole; 
Tasmanian Wolf; a flesh-eater; destructive to sheep; in 
captivity; Tasmanian Devil; its savageness; a " marsupial 
ApoUyon"; efforts to tame it; Native Cats of Australasia; 
Pouched Mice; known species; the Banded Ant-eater; 
one of the most interesting marsupials; abnormal teeth; 
submission to captivity; American Opossums; generic 
types; onmivorous feeders; " playing 'possum"; peculiar 
liabits; the Selva; a South American marsupial. Mono- 
TREME8, OR Eoo-LATiNG Mahmals — Borderland between 
typical mammals and reptiles; the Echidna; three species; 
domestic pets; the Platypus; an amphibian; found in 
Tasmania and Australia; Bennett's account 344-384 



3 



BOOK II -BIRDS 



CHAPTER I 

THE OSTRICH AND ITS KINDRED 

An ancient group; varying size. Tinamous — ^The head 
of the tribe. The Rhea — South American; described 
by Darwin and others. The Ostrich — Giant among 
birds; nmning powers; egg; male and female; Schreiner 
on the " waltzing " and " rolling " of ostriches; Gl3mn's 
account df a hunt. Cassowaries and Emeus — History 
and habits. The Apteryx — A New Zealand bird; native 
name Kiwi; the hunt 385-396 

CHAPTER II 

THE GAME-BIRDS AND RAILS 

Grouse and Ptarmigan — ^Distinguishing features; 
the Red Grouse; the Rypen Cai^ercailzies; Blackcock 
and Gray-hen; Prairie-hen; Captain Bendire's account; 
Sage-grouse; Ruffed Grouse. Partridges, Quails, and 
Pheasants — Characteristics; Red-legged and Common 
Partridges; Quails; enormous numbers; story of the 
Israehtes; American Quails; Pheasants; homes and habits; 
Tragopans; Monals; Golden Pheasants. Jungle-fowl 
AND their Domesticated Descendan'ts— General Char- 
acteristics; numerous varieties; the Game-breed; Ply- 
mouth Rock; Dorking; Black Spanish breed; Minorcas; 
Leghorns; Andalusians; Hamburgs; Polish breed; Se- 
bright Bantams; Japanese Bantams. The Argus- 
pheasant AND Peacock and their Allies — Guinea- 
fowls; Turkeys; Curassows and Guans; Bustard-quail and 
Plain-wanderers; the Hoatzin. The Raiw— Oom-crake; 
Land-rail' Water-rail; Weka-rail, Water-hen, or Moor- 
hen; the Fin-feet 397-413 

CHAPTER III 

PIGEONS AND SAND-GROUSE 

Pigeons — Powers of flight; feeding; nests; eggs; 
Fruit-pigeons; Green Pigeons; Painted Hgeons; Eugene's 
Pigeon; white NutmeK-i>igeon; Nicobar Pigeons; Gouras, 
or Crowned Pigeons; Namaqua and Scaly Doves; Gray- 
naped Ground-pigeon; English Pouter; Carrier; Short- 
faced Tumbler; Indian Frillback; Jacobin. Sand-orouse 
—Home and characteristics 414-416 

CHAPTER IV 

AUKS, GULLS, AND PLOVERS 

The Auk Tribe — ^The Guillemot; the Razor-bill; 
Great Auk ; Little Auk; Puffin. The Gull Tribe — Terns; 
Skimmers; Gulls; Black-headed Gull; Great Black-backed 
Gull; Gray Gull; Kittiwake; Skua Gulls. The Plover 
Tribe — Gray Plover; Dunlin; Godwits, Knots, and 
Sanderlings; the Ruff; Phalaropes; the Dotterel; Turn- 
stones; Chirlews; Snipe; Woodcock; Avocet; Stilts; Jacana; 
Water-pheasant; Spur- winged Plover 417-424 

CHAPTER V 

BUSTARDS AND CRANES 

The Great Bustard — Most important species; for- 
merly seen in England; its stately bulk; found in Spain; 
courting antics; peculiar ^and-bag. Cranes — History 
in England; nest and young; Nelson describes dancing 
cranes; Sarus Crane; Crowned Crane; White and Whoop- 
ing Cranes, wonderfully beautiful; the "lily of birds"; 
Dr. Coues mistakes a crane for an antelope; the Seriema; 
Trumpeters; Courlans; Kagu; Sun-bittern 424-428 



CHAPTER VI 

GREBES AND DIVERS, PENGUINS, AND 
TUBE-NOSED BIRDS 

Grebes — A very ancient type; adaptation to the water; 
the Great Crested Grel>e; Dabchick; Eared Grebe. 
Divers — Peculiarities. The Penguins — ^Wonderful birds, 
of ancient descent; their home the sea; Moseley 
describes a Hock; habits; the Emperor-penguin; King- 
penguin; Gentle Penguin; Crested Penguins, or Rock- 
noppers; Black-footed Penguin; Humboldt's Penguin; 
Jackass-penguin; Blue Penguin. The Tube-nosed Birds 
— Related to Divers and Penguins; the " Ancient Mariner "; 
majestic flight described by Froude and Hutton; making 
love; Giant Petrel; Fulmar Petrel; Storm-petrel; Diving- 
petrel 428-435 

CHAPTER VII 

STORKS. HERONS. AND PELICAN TRIBE 

The Storks — ^White Stork; affectionate regard for it; 
Black Stork; Adjutant-stork and Jabirus; adjutants 
named from their gait; scavengers; ugliness; the adjutants' 
pouch; marabou feathers; three species of Jabirus; splendid 
plumage; African Saddle-billed Stork; Whale-neaded 
Stork; Flamingoes, their beauty, nesting, brooding, etc.; 
Chapman on their huge flocks; Spoonbills; graphic de- 
scriptions by Wolley and Crowley: Ibises- one species 
sacred to the Egy^ptians; Scarlet ibis of America most 
beautiful; connection \^ith name Liverpool. The Herons 
AND Bitterns — Common Heron; Great Blue Heron; 
Green Heron; Goliath Heron; Eerets, victims of cruelty; 
Night-herons; interesting stories; Bitterns; characteristics, 
homes, habits. The Pelican Tribe — Dissimilar forms; 
in heraldry; features; Cormorants; Darters; Gannets; 
Frigate-birds; Tropic-birds 435-456 

CHAPTER VIII 

SCREAMERS, DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 

Wealth of forms; aquatic habits; the young. Scream- 
ers— Characteristics and habits. Fresh-water Ducks 
— ^Wild-duck, or Mallard; parent of domesticated stock; 
Rouen and Aylesbury Ducks; the Penguin-duck. Salt- 
water Ducks or Diving-ducks — Eider-duck; Sheppard 
describes a colony; Pochards; Scaups; Golden-eyes; 
Scoters; Mergansers and Smews. The Common Shel- 
drake. Geese — Spur-^i-inged Geese; Half-webbed Goose: 
Chinese or Guinea-goose; Gray Goose; several varieties; 
Kelp- and Upland-geese; F^gmy Geese; Cotton- teal. 
Swans — Coscoroba Swan; Mute Swan; Black Swan; 
Black-necked Swan 456-463 



CHAPTER IX 

BIRDS OF PREY AND OWLS 

Birds of Prey— The New World Vultures; the Con- 
dor; King-vulture; Turkey-buzzard; Black Vulture; 
Calif omian Vulture; the Secretary-bird; the Eajde and 
Falcon Tribe; Kites; Honey-buzzards, Osprey, or lishing- 
hawk; how the vulture discovers its food; Old World 
Vultures; Lammergeir, or Bearded Vulture; Cinereous, 
Griffon, Pondicheny, and Egyjjtian Vultures; Golden 
Eagle; Harpy-eagle; "^Sea-eagles; Erne; Sparrow- and Gos- 
hawks; Carrion-nawks, or Caracaras; Curassow-hawk; 
The Falcons; Peregrine and Jer-falcons; Kestrel; Hobby; 
Merlin. Owls — Misrepresented in literature; Greek 



symbol of wisdom; general characteristics; Tawny Owl; 
Long- and Short-eared Owls; Eagle- and Sno^y Owls; 
American Burrowing-owls; Pygmy Owls; Little Owls; the 
White or Bam-owl (Screech-owl) 464-480 

CHAPTER X 

NIGHT-JARS, SWIFTS, AND HUMMING- 
BIRDS 

Night-jars — Allies of the Owls; characteristics; 
Pennant- winged Night-jar; Night-hawk; Eared Night- 
jar; More-pork, or Frog-mouth: Oil-bird. Swifts — 
Common Swift; Salvin's Swift; Edible Swifts. Hummino- 
BIRDS — Relation to Swifts; plumage; species; American 
range; Newton's description 481-486 



CHAPTER XI 

PARROTS, CUCKOOS, AND PLANTAIN- 
EATERS 

Parrots — More than five hundred species; Kea, or 
Mountain-nestor; Lories; Brush-tongued Parrots* Cocka- 
toos; Gray African Parrot; Pygmy Parrots; Macaws; 
Hawk-billed Parrot; Long-tailed Macaws; Hyacinthine 
Macaw; Amazon Parrots; Hanging-parrots; Budgerigars, 
or Parrakeets; Kapapo, or 0\^^-parrot, most interesting 
of all. The Cuckoo Tribe — Common Cuckoo; genersd 
characteristics; use of other birds' nests; Great Spotted 
Cuckoo; the Koel; Lark-heeled Cuckoos; Bronze Cuckoos; 
Golden Cuckoos; Emerald Cuckoo; Ground-cuckoo. 
Plantain-eaters, orTouRAcos — Related to the Cuckoos; 
fine plumage; twenty-five species 487-498 

CHAPTER XII 

ROLLERS, KINGFISHERS, HORNBILLS, AND 
HOOPOES 

Rollers — Crow-like birds of brilliant plumage; how 
named; habits. Kingfishers — Conmion Kingfisher; 
beautiful and widely known; description; Kinghunters; 
Racket-tailed Kingfishers; Laughin/^ Jackass, or Settler's 
Clock. HoRNBiLLS — ^Helmet-hombill; full account by 
Charles Hose. The Hoopoes — Characters and habits; 
European Hoopoe, Wood-hoopoes, etc 498-506 

CHAPTER XIII 

BEE-EATERS, MOTMOTS, TODIES. COLIES, 
AND TROGONS 

Bee-eaters — An Old World group. Motmots — Birds of 
peculiar interest; Racket-tailed Motmot Todies — Small 
allies of the Motmots. Coues, or Mouse-birds — Their 
creeping habit. Trooons — Their gorgeous plumage; the 
Quezal; Salvin's description 50&-508 



CHAPTER XIV 

TOUCANS. HONEY-GUIDES, JACAMARS 
AND PUFF-BIRDS, BARBETS AND 
WOODPECKERS 

Toucans — Gaudy plumage; shy and restless; de- 
scribed by Bates. Honey-guides — ^Unique birds; Sii 
John Kirk's description. Jacamars and Pufp-birds— » 
Description; range. Barbets — Characteristics and geo- 
graphic£d range. Woodpeckers — ^Two sections; many 
species; the Wrynecks 508-512 

CHAPTER XV 

PERCHING-BIRDS 

Nearly six thousand species; subdivisions; the Crows; 
the Raven; Rook; Carrion-crow; Jackdaw; Jay; Magpie; 
Chough; Huia; Birds of Paradise; splendid groups; Bower- 
birds; Gardener-bird; British Starling; inmiense flocks; 
Rose-coloured Starling; Ox-pecker; Glossy Starlings; 
Crackles, etc.; the Orioles; Beautiful Old World 
birds; Golden Oriole; Hang-nests, Cow-birds, and Rice- 
birds, American species; Thoreau on the song of the Rice- 
bird, or BobolinK; Weaver-birds; Widow-birds* Wax- 
bills, Amadavats; Java Sparrow; Grass-finches; Munias; 
Tanagers, etc.; Finches; Grosbeaks; Hawfinches; Green 
Finches: True Finches; the Chaffinch; Goldfinch; Linnets; 
Bullfinch; Sparrow; Canary; Buntings; Yellowhammer; 
Ortolan; Snow-bimting; Reed-bimting. 513-526 

CHAPTER XVI 

LARKS. TITMICE, HONEY-EATERS, AND 
THEIR KINDRED 

Larks — Skylark; Wagtails; Pipits; Wall-creeper; Tree- 
creeper; Nutnatches. Titmice — ^True, Crested, Long- 
tailed, and Penduline Tits, Reedlinss, etc. Honet- 
EATERS — ^The Poe, or Parson-bird; White-eyes; Sun- 
birds; Flower-peckers; Diamond-bird 526-^33 

CHAPTER XVII 

SHRIKES, THRUSHES AND THEIR ALLIES. 

SWALLOWS. LYRE-BIRDS, CHATTERERS, 

BROAD-BILLS, ETC. 

Shrikes — Called Butcher-birds; Great Gray Shrike; 
Red-backed Shrike. Wax-wings — ^Their curious append- 
ages. The Warblers — Numerous species. Thrushes 
AND Allies — ^The Common Thrush; Blackbird; Robin 
Red-breast: Nightingale; Wheat-ears; Stone-chats; Whin- 
chats; Red-start; Hedge-sparrow; Dipper, or Water- 
ouzel; the Wrens; Fly-catchers. Swallows and Martins 
— ^A well-defined group; highly regarded. Lyre-birdb 
AND Scrub-birds — Very interesting forms. Chatterers — 
The Umbrella-bird; Bell-birds; Cocks-of-the-rock; Thick- 
billed Chatterers; Manakins; the Bailador, or Dancer. 
Ant Thrushes or Pitfas — ^The Ground-thrush; Plant- 
cutters; Wood-hewers; Oven-birds; Little House-builders; 
Tyrant Fly-catchers; King-bird; Crested Tyrant-bird. 
Broad-bills — ^Homes and nabits 533-544 



BOOK III -REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS 



CHAPTER 1 
CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS 

What the reptile class includes. The Crocodiles— 
General characteristics; full description; True Crocodiles; 
capture; the Nile Crocodile; American Crocodile; Long- 
snouted Crocodile. Alligators — The typical or Missis- 
sippi Alligator; the Caimans of South America; they 
occupy the place of tl^e alligator 545-551 



CHAPTER II 

TORTOISES AND TURTLES 

Distinguishing features. Land-tortoises— Oiant or 
Elephant-tortoises; Darwin's observations; Greciaa 
Tortoise; Margined Tortoise; Hinged Tortoises; Box- 
tortoises; Pond-tortoises; True Terrapins; Diamond* 
backed; Painted Terrapin; American Mud-terrapins; 
Snappers; Matamata Tortoise; Snake-necked Water* 



tortoifles; Long-necked and Side-necked Tortoises. Tur- 
tles — Strictly marine; characteristics and habits; the 
Green Turtle; the Hawksbill, or tortoiseshell-producing 
turtle; the Loggerhead; the Luth, or Leathe^ Turtle; 
capture; cultivation 551-562 

CHAPTER III 

LIZARDS 

Great number of specific forms; relation to snakes; 
the BUnd-worm or Blow- worm; the Glass-snake; the 
Gecko Family; Flying-dragons; the Frilled Lizard; 
Leseur's Water-lizard; the Jew or Bearded Lizard; The 
York Devil, or Mountain-devil; the Iguanas; Homed 
Toad, or Spiny Lizard; Tuberculated Iguana; Galapagos 
Sea-lizard; Fiji Banded Iguana; Girdle-tailed Lizards; 
Heloderm, or "Silatica"; the Monitors; Lace-lizard; Nile 
Monitor; eater of crocodiles' eggs; " Greaved " Lizards; 
Teguexin, or Diamond-lizard; Sand-lizard; Viviparous 
Lizard; Green Lizard; Pearly or Ocellated Lizard; the 
Common " Medicinal " Skink; Stump-tailed Lizard; 
Great Cyclodus, or Blue-tongued Lizard; Spine-tailed 
Lizards 56^-580 

CHAPTER IV 

CHAMELEONS AND THE TUATERA 

Chameleons — A distinct sub-order; distinguishing 
characters; tongue and eyes; feet and tail; colour-changing 
properties; grotesque rage; eggs and young. The 
TuATERA — A separate order; description; governmental 
protection 581-584 

CHAPTER V 

SNAKES 

General characteristics. Blind-snakes — About one hun- 
dred species. Typical Pythons, or Rock-snakes — Indian 



Python; Reticulated Python; True Boas; Common Boa, 
or Boa-constrictor; Anaconda, or Water-boa; Shield- 
tails, or Earth-snakes; Common Snakes — British 
Ringed Snake and other Water-snakes; Viperine and 
Tessellated Snakes; Garter-snakes; Mocassin-snakes; 
Smooth Snake; Indian Rat-snake; Tree-snakes; Egg- 
eating Snake; Indian Whip-snakes; Cobras; Hamadryad; 
Indian Craits; Egy])tian Asp; Australian Black Snakes; 
Death-adders; Cobra-de-capello; Hooded o» Spectacled 
Snake; the Haj<5, or Spitting-snake; Tasmanian Black 
Snake. The Vipers — Common Viper; Cerastes, or 
Homed Viper; PufT-adder; Pit-vipers; Rattle-snakes; 
Fer-de-lance, or Rat-tailed Pit- viper; Bush-master; 
Water-viper; other species 585-598 



CHAPTER VI 

FROGS AND TOADS 

Characteristics and distinguishing features: Common 
British Frog, Edible Frog, Guppy's Frog, Matlamitlo, 
Flying-frog, Sliort-headed Frogs, Homed Frogs or 
Homed Toads, Tree-frogs, Bicoloured Tree-frog, Golden 
Tree-frog, Marsupial or Pouched Tree-frog, Queensland 
Frog, etc. Toads — Distinguished from Frogs; Com- 
mon Toad, Natterjack, Water-toad, etc 598-605 



CHAPTER VII 

NEWTS AND SALAIVIANDERS 

Newts — Crested Newts; peculiarities and habits; 
Common or Smooth Newt, Marbled Newt, etc. Sala- 
manders — ^True Salamanders, Spotted Salamanders, 
Giant Salamanders, The 01m, or Bhnd Proteus, Furrowed 
Salamanders Siren Salamanders 605-608 



BOOK IV -FISHES 



CHAPTER I 

LUNG-FISHES AND CHIIVLERAS 

General type. Lung-fishes— Connecting link be- 
tween Fishes and land-dwelling Amphibians; the Lung- 
fish of Queensland; the Burnett or Dawson Salmon; 
eel-like Lung-fishes; their life in dry weather; kno^^-n 
as Mud-fish; Mud-fish of South America. CniMiERAS — 
A group of great antiquity; five modern species; the 
Sea-cat; Bottle-nosed Chimajra 609-610 

CHAPTER II 

THE PERCH FAMILY 

Striking characteristicrf; numerous relations; the Com- 
mon Perch; Ruffe, or Pope; Comber, or Gaper; Dusky 
Perch; Stone-bass, or Wreck-fish; Dentex; Pike-perch: 
Sea-perches, including the Anthias, Boar-fish, or Bastard 
Dory, and others 612-613 

CHAPTER III 

SCALY-FINS, RED MULLETS, SEA-BREAMS, 
SCORPION-FISHES, SLIME-HEADS, TAS- 
SEL-FISH. MEAGRES, AND SWORD- 
FISHES 

Scaly-fins — Quaint shapes; beautiful coloration; the 
Zebra-fish; Emperor-fish; Archer-fishes and their " liquid 
bullets." Red Mullets — Mainly in tropical seas; about 
forty species; known to the Romans; two forms in Euro- 



6 



pean waters. Sea-breams — Found in tropical and tem- 
perate regions; known as Snappers in Australia; the 
Gilt-head of the Romans; Thick-rayed Fishes, allied to 
Sea-breams; the G roper; the Long-fin; Trumpeters. 
Scorpion-fishes — A small group, very ugly; the Stone- 
fish; its poisonous fin-spines; a carnivorous family; the 
young produced alive; the Teuthis and other vegetable- 
feeders. Slime-heads — Named from mucus-bearing cav- 
ities on the head; their deep-sea habitat. The Tassel- 
fish — Its feelers; lives in muddy wat^r; good as food; 
some species yield isinglass. Meagres — Economic im- 

gortance; the Drum; its " drumming " often heard. 
woRD-FisHES — One small family, but extremely in- 
teresting; their name; use of the sword; whale-klilers; 
ships attacked 613-^20 

CHAPTER IV 

HAIR-TAILS, HORSE-MACKERELS, SEA-BATS, 
DORIES, MACKERELS, SUCKING-FISHES, 
WEAVERS, FROG-FISHES. ANGLER- 
FISHES, BULL-HEADS, AND GUR- 
NARDS 

Hair-taius — ^The Scabbard- or Frost-fish, where 
found; interesting account of its capture; the Barracuda, 
or Snoek. The Horse-mackerels, or Scads — Numerous 
species, very peculiar; Common Horse-mackerel; the 
Pilot-fish; its companionship ^ith the shark; stoiy by 
Dr. Meyer. Sea-bats — Interesting for their snape. 
Dories — Distinctive features; the John Dory; how the 
dory captures its prey; Cunningham's accoimt. Mack- 



ERELS — Characteristics; many species, ranging in weight 
from a few pounds to half a ton; Common Mackerel; 
Tunnies; the Bonito. Sucking-fishes — Peculiar struc- 
ture; how natives use them. The Weavers — Disa- 
greeable qualities; the Star-gazer; Common Weaver. 
Frog-fishes — Dangerous poison-organs. Angler-fishes 
— Strange forms; elaborate mechanism. Bull-heads — 
Spiny armature; species include the Miller 's-thumb, Sea- 
scorpion, Father-lasher, and Flat-heads, or Crocodile- 
fishes. The Gurnards — Range; quaint appearance; 
how they communicate; Flying-gurnards; Anned Bull- 
head, or JPogge 620-628 

CHAPTER V 

LUMP-SUCKERS, GOBIES. BLENNIES. BAR- 
RACUDAS. GRAY MULLETS, STICKLE- 
BACKS AND THEIR ALLIES. GARPIKE, AND 
FLYING-FISHES 

Lump-Suckers — Structure and other characteristics. 
Gobies — Distinguishing features; Spotted Goby, or Pole- 
wing; nest building; Fellucid Goby; Walking-fish; re- 
semblance to tadpoles. The Blennies— Shore-fishes; 
Sea-cat, or Wolf-fish; Butter-fish, or Gunnel; Wolf-fish. 
Barracudas — ^Two distinct fishes of this name. Sand- 
smelts. Gray Mullets — About seventy species. Stickle- 
backs — Allied families; Fifteen-spined Stickleback; Tor- 
toise-fishes; Trumpet-fish, or Bellows-fish. Garpike — 
Distinguishing features; Half-beaks. The Flying-fishes, 
or Flying-herrings — ^Their great breast-fins and long 
journeys through the air 628-633 

CHAPTER VI 

THE WRASSE-LIKE FISHES 

Described by W. P. Pycraft; brilliant colouring. 
Coral-fishes; Amphiprion; discovered by W. Saville-Kent; 
interesting habits; the Wrasse proper; distinguishing 
characters; Striped or Red Wrasse; Ballan Wrasse; 
Parrot-fish; esteemed by the ancients; Gold-finned Coral- 
fish; the Chromids; fresh- water fish; found in the Lake of 
Gahlee; protection of eggs and young 633-635 

CHAPTER \1I 

PIPE-FISHES, SEA-HORSES, GLOBE-FISHES, 
SUN-FISHES, AND THEIR ALLIES 

Two distinct groups; sub-divisions. Pipe-fishes — Dis- 
tinguishing characteristics; peculiar habits. Sea-horses 
— Strange appearance. Comb-gilled Fishes — Extraordi- 
nary shape; File-fishes; Coffer-fishes: Trigger-fish. Globe- 
FiSHEs^-reculiarities; Porcupine-fish, or Sea-hedgehog 
Toad-fish; the Sun-fish and its food 636-640 

CHAPTER \ III 

THE COD FAMILY 

Description by John Bickerdyke; in the order of 
Spineless Fishes; numerous species; Common Cod, Whit- 
ing, Haddock, Pollock, Coal-nsh, Hake, Ling, Rocklings, 
the Burbot, and others; the Chiasmodus; interesting facts, 
homes, habits, and uses of the family 6^1-643 

CHAPTER IX 

CAVE-FISHES, SAND-EELS AND THEIR 
ALLIES, AND FLAT-FISHES 

Cate-fishes — Some without eyes; marine relations. 
Sand-eels, or Launces — How they burrow in the sand. 
Flat-fishes — Important food-fishes; the Plaice; Flounder; 
Dab; Hahbut; Sole; Turbot; Brill 643-645 



CHAPTER X 

EELS AND CAT-FISHES 

Eels — Burrowing fishes; Common Fresh- water Eels; 
numerous marine species; cliaracteristics and habits: 
River-eels; Congers; Serjxjnt-eels; Deep-sea Eels; Painted 
Eels; Electric Eels. Cat-fishes, or Sheath-fishes — 
An interesting group; peculiarities and habits; numerous 
species 646-650 

CHAPTER XI 

THE CARP FAMILY 

One of the largest families ' among fishes; Barbels; 
two hundred species; Rudd; Roach; Tench; Bream; 
Bleak; Common Carp; Mirror-carp, or King-carp; Leather- 
carp; Gold-fish; Telescope-fish, a monstrosity.. . 650-652 

CHAPTER XII 

PIKES, ARAPAIMAS. BEAKED SALMON, 
AND SCOPELIDS 

Pikes — Mainly American fish; Common Pike; Muskel- 
lunge, or Muskinonge; Pickerel; the Jack (immature 
pike). Arapaimas— Distribution; pecuharities; Dawson 
River Salmon. Beaked Salmon — ^Where found. Sco- 
peuds — Many remarkable forms; eyes; phosphorescent 
organs; the Phosphorescent Sardine; Queensland Smelt; 
Bummaloe; ''Sergeant Baker" 652-655 

CHAPTER XIII 

THE SALMON FAMILY 

Description by Sir Herbert Maxwell; low place in classi- 
fication; oeauty of form and colour; Atlantic Salmon type 
of the family; full account of growt'^ and habits; Salmon- 
trout; Bull-trout; Pacific species; the Quinnat; the Steel- 
head; Brook-trout; Rainbow-trout; the Grayling; the 
Powan; the Vendace; the Smelt 655-658 

CHAPTER XIV 

THE HERRING AND ITS KINDRED 

History of the family by F. G. Aflalo. The Herring — 
Commercial value; the Tarpon; Sprat; Pilchard; Anchovy; 
Allis Shad; Twaite Shad; Bouregreg; Um Erbeya; interest- 
ing facts of migration; Whitebait 658-661 

CHAPTER XV 

BONY PIKE, BOW-FIN, STURGEON, 
REED-FISH, AND BICHIR 

Forms of the Bony-mouthed group. Bony Pike, or 
Gar-pike — Home, species, and habits. The Bow-fin — 
Its various names; its bell-like note. Sturgeons — Dis- 
tinguishing features: Giant Sturgeon; wholesomeness of 
sturgeons; the Sterlet, its superior flavour and caviare. 
The Bichir and Reed-fish — Why called Fringe-finned; 
the African Bichir; Reed-fish of Old Calabar . . . 662-664 

CHAPTER XVI 

SHARKS AND RAYS 

Sharks — ^Distinguished from dog-fish; Baskine-shark; 
Blue Shark; Porbeagle-shark; Fox-shark, or Thresher; 
Hammerhead-shark; Dog-fishes, several species; general 
characteristics of Sharks; Port Jackson Shark; Monk-fish, 
or Angel-fish, a connecting link between Sharks and Rays; 
its' features and habits. Rays — ^Their whip-like tails and 
pointed snouts; the Eagle-rays; Thomback; Sting-ray; 
its dagger; the Torpedo- or Numb-fish; its electric organs; 
the Homed Ox-ray 664-669 



BOOK V -JOINTED ANIMALS 



CHAPTER I 

THE CRAB AND SCORPION GROITPS 

Detailed account by W. F. Kirby; general chaiacteris- 
tics; innumerable species. Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimps, 
Wood-lice, Barnacles, etc. — ^Distinguishing features, 
homes, and habits; interesting facts regarding each. 
Scorpions, Spiders, and Mites — A peculiar group; 
vwriety of Scorpions in different regions; characters; 
Jointed Spiders; False Scorpions, or Book-scorpions; 
Whip-scorpions; Harvest-men; Bird<catching Spiders; 
Trap-door Spiders; House-spiders; Orb-spinners, or Gar- 
den-spiders; the Diadem-spiaer; Gossamer-spiders; Water- 
spiders; Running-spiders; the Spotted Spider. Mite^ 
AND iTicKS — Plant-mites; Ticks are the largest mites; 
the Cheese-mite; Sugar-mite; the Red Spider of green- 
houses; Gall-mites. Centipedes and Milupedes— -Char- 
acteristics; Centipedes, or Hundred-legs; Millipedes, or 
Thousand-legs; actual number of legs usually less than 
one hundred; nannless and venomous Centipedes; Electric 
Centipedes; the Common Snake-millipede; Pill-milli- 
pedes; Slimy Millipedes; work of insects 670-680 

CHAPTER II 

INSECTS 

Distinguishing characters and classification. Sheatr- 
wiNOED Insects, or Beetles — Dccription by the Rev. 
Theodore Wood; how differing from other insects; the 
Tiger-beetle; Purple Ground-l^tle; Bombardier; Great 
Brown Water-bc«tle; Black Water-beetle; Cocktails; 
Burying-beetles; Leaf -homed Beetles; Stag-beetle; Her- 
cules Beette; Goliath Beetle; Cockchafer; Summer Chafer, 
or June Bug; the Coch-y-bonddhu; Rose-beetle; Egjrptian 
Scarabseus; Dor Beetle: Skipiack Beetles; Fire-fly; 
Glow-worm; Oil-beetles; Blister-beetle, or Spanish Fly; 
Weevils; Diamond-beetle; Osier-weevil; Corn-weevil; Rice- 



weevil; the Gru-gru, grub of the Palm-weevfl; bogar- 
weevil; Nut-weevil; British Musk-beetle; . Wasp-beetle; 
Timberman; Harlequin Beetle; Flant-eaters; Reed- 
beetles; Golden Apples; Colorado Beetle, or Potato Bug; 
Turnip-flea; Ladybirds; Tortoise-beetles; Cellar-beetles; 
Meal-worm; Cardinal Beetle; Rhipiphorus Beetle; Stalk- 
eyed Beetle, {^traight-winoed-inbectb — I>escribed by 
W. F. Kirby* general characteristics; Earwigs; Cock« 
roaches; Sootnsayers, or Praying-insects; Stick-insects; 
Crickets; species and their habits described; Grasshoppers 
and Locusts; numerous sj^ecies. Nerve-winoed or Lace- 
winged Insects — Characters and habits; species; Great 
Dragon-fly; Horse-stinger; Demoiselle; May-fly; Termites, 
or White Ants; Ant-lion; Mantis-flies; Snake-flies; k^or- 
pion-flies; Lace wing-fly, or Golden-eye; Alder-flies: 
Caddis-flies. Stinging Four-winged Insects— General 
characteristics, habits, metamorphosis, etc.; Saw-flies; 
Wood-wasps; Gall-flies; Ichneumon-flies; Ruby-tailed 
flies; Ants; Burro wing- wasps; True Wasps; Social Wasps; 
Hornets; Mandarin- wasps; Bees; distinguishing features; 
Humble-bees, or Biunble-bees; Carpenter-bee; Hive-beesr 
Solitary Bees. Scale^winged Insects— General descrip- 
tion; Butterflies; numerous species; their appearance and 
habits; many illust nit ions; Moths; many species described 
and illustrated; Silkworms: their history and culture. 
Half-winged Insects— Order including Bucs and Frog- 
hoppers; True Bugs; Shield-bugs; Stink-bugs; Lace- 
winged Bugs; Bed-bugs; Masked Bug; Kissing-bug; 
Water-bugs; Water -scorpions; Water-boatmen; Frog- 
hoppers; distinguishing characteristics; Cicadas; species; 
Lantern-flies, or Candle-flies; True Frog-hoppers; destruc- 
tive insects, such as the Aphides, Plant-lice, or Smother- 
flies; American Blight; Scale-insects; True Lice. Two- 
winged Insects, or Flies— Order one of the most 
numerous in individuals; Gnats or Mosquitoes; Crane- 
flies, or Daddv-lonK-legs; numerous other species of flies 
interestingly described by Kirby; uses of flies; their ser- 
vice to mankind 681-736 



BOOK VI -SHELL-FISH, LAMP-SHELLS, SEA-URCHINS, 

STAR-FISHES, MOSS-ANIMALS, WORMS, CORALS, 

JELLY-FISHES, AND SPONGES 



CHAPTER I 

SHELL-FISH, OR MOLLUSCS 

Importance of the group; general characteristics; species, 
homes, and habits; numerous instructive facts and illustra- 
tions 737-744 

CHAPTER II 

LAMP-SHELLS 

Scientific and popular names of the group; an inde- 
pendent class; structure, etc.; Lingula, most interesting 
type 744-746 

CHAPTER III 

STAR-FISHES, SEA-URCHINS, ETC. 

Structural type; the Common Sea-urchin; minute de- 
scription; Common Star-fish; Feather-stars; Brittle-stars; 
Rosy Feather-star; Permanently Stalked Stone-lilies; 
the Star-fish group; species described; departures from 
the typical Sea-urchins; Sea-cucumbers; interesting 
account of the life and homes of species; Star-fish colora- 
tion and phosphorescent properties 746-753 

CHAPTER IV 

MOSS-ANIMALS 

Sometimes called Corallines, or Lace-corals; very 



minute; colonies; commonly seen in the form of Sea- 
mats; microscopic details 753-754 

CHAPTER V 

WORMS 

Fundamentally distinguished: Bristle-worms; Common 
Earth-worm; Lug- worm; Nereids; Tube-dwelling worms; 
Leeches; Flat- worms, induJing Tape- worms, Thread- 
worms, Liver-flukes, etc.; India-mbber- worms. . 754-756 

CHAPTER VI 

CORALS, SEA-ANEMONES, AND JELLY- 
FISHES 

Corals and Sla-anem onbs — Varieties described and 
illustrated. Hydroid P..:/* ps and Jelly-fishes — De- 
scription, and illustratio s .overing many species; struc- 
tural peculiarities and relations 758-763 

CHAPTER VII 

SPONGES AND ANIMALCULES 

Sponges — Border-land types; Bath- and Toilet-sponges; 
structure and commercial importance; Neptime's-cup; 
Lace-sponge; Glass-rope Sponge. Animalcules — Lowest 
forms of animal life; numerous species described and 
illustrated by reproductions from microscopic photo- 
graphs 764-768 

INDEX, Etc 769-776 




PEKIN DEER IN SUMMER DRESS 
Jin example of the lukite spotted type of coloration to common among herbivorous 



(^•kum 



INTRODUCTION 



THE interest now taken 
in Natural History is 
wide-spread and intel- 
ligent to a degree never known 
before, and any publication that 
purports to present the animal 
world in a new and clearer 
way is sure of a welcome, and 
as wide an acceptance as it 
deserves. 

Nothing is more essential 
to the successful presentation 
of animal life and habits than 
good pictures. The universal 
interest of the public in zoologi- 
cal gardens, traveling menageries 
and museums, the educational 
value of which is more and more 
strongly recognised, arises not 
only from a natural curiosity, but 
also from the need of seeing the 
real creatures or their preserved 
embodiments, in order properly 
to understand and realise the 
descriptions of animals and 




NEGRO BOY AND APES 

An tntertiting picture of a Negro hoy^ with a young Chimpamaee [left ude of figure) 
and young Orang-utan (right side of figure) 



11 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



their ways with which books of exploration and travel, school treatises and current 
literature are nowadays crowded. Without such help, indeed, the study of zoology 
would be practically impossible, and therefore pictures have always been considered 
necessary to books of natural history. Too often, however, they have been sorry travesties 
upon the reality, reflecting the imaginations of the draughtsman rather than the truth of 
nature. 

Photography was therefor^ welcomed by naturalists and scientific writers as a means 
of vastly needed improvement, yet only recently has it been possible to utilise it in any 

important picturesque way 
in the illustration of living 
animals. For a long time 
the difficulties to be over- 
come baffled both photog- 
raphers and naturalists. The 
makers of photographic in- 
struments and materials were 
compelled to experiment for 
many years before they were 
able to perfect ** quick " 
plates and lenses that would 
answer the purpose, and then 
it was only here and there 
that a man was able or will- 
ing, or had the opportunity 
to make use of the portable 
cameras, telephoto lenses, and 
other special apparatus re- 
quired to obtain successful 
portraits of living creatures, 
especially those at liberty 
" on their native heath." 

It must be remembered, 
too, that the processes of 
mechanical engraving had to 
be perfected in order to re- 
produce such photographs so 
that they might be printed 
without the intervention of 
brush or graving-tool, with 
their chances of loss of 
correctness. 

What would we not give 




SKELETONS OF MAN AND GORILLA 

Th*s photograph sh<nos tht remarkahU nmlarity in the structure of the human frame ( ^e/t) 
end thai of the gori//a ( right). This gortUa happened to be a particularly large spedwun \ 
tkt wuin was of ordinary height 




SEA-SWALLOWS 

From tlrnr long wings^ forked tail, and flighty the Term are popularly called Sea-twallTW^ 

iii 



{Ckettet 



IV 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fhmtt At OtumMf AwnhimJ 



iStrh* 



AFRICAN LEOPARD 



jin example of tht black^spotted type of coloration to prevalent in 
Carnivora 



women have overcome the obstacles, 
and partly by great patience and skill, 
and partly by seizing happy chances, have 
captured and preserved for us the por- 
traits of a host of animals of every sort. 
It is these which have now been gathered 
to illustrate, in a comprehensive and orig- 
inal manner this new general history of 
the Living Animals of the World, — mam- 
mals, birds, reptiles, fishes, and lowly life 
of land and sea. 

It is no disparagement of its often 
excellent predecessors lo say that in its 
illustrations, at least, this work surpasses 
anything that has gone before it, since no 
previous publication could have presented 
its pictorial contents. The materials, in 
respect to both pictures and written text, 
have been gathered from the whole world, 



had the pioneers of America or Africa 
been able to take with them cameras, and. 
instead of taking advantage of the tame- 
ness of the game unused to the hunter, 
which enabled them to kill it, sometimes, 
with clubs, had gathered for us easily the 
portraits of many an animal, perhaps in 
flocks and herds, which have now disap- 
peared! It is one of the most important 
functions of out-door photography, to-day, 
to preserve for posterity a record of pass- 
ing conditions and of diminishing species; 
and a work like the present is of per- 
manent interest, and will increase in 
historical and bibliographical value as time 
goes on. 

One by one in various parts of the 
world within the last half a dozen years, 
ingenious, energetic, and capable men and 




EAST AFRICAN GIRAFFE 

ThtspAotograph was taken in the tvt/ds of Africa by Lord [klawurt^ 

and ihoius the animal at home. The tree it m 

mtmosaf on the top shoots of which tkt 

gtrajfe habitually feecU 



INTRODUCTION 




Fh»f bf 1^. Savill0.KtHt^ F.Z.S.] 



FLYING-FOX 



TJkis hatf loUch is a native of Australia {tvhere it vtas photographed)^ is commonly called the Flying-fox, Great fiocks set out at sunset 
from the forest to feed upon the indigenous fruitSy such as that of the native Jig 

and represent the latest studies, much of which has never been before popularly published. 

Specialists of distinction and renowned scientific travelers have contributed photographs 

and field-notes, often from remote regions 

where alone many of the most rare and 

interesting animals may be found. These 

unique contributions come from the most 

distant islands of the Southern Ocean, 

the deserts and coral reefs of Australia, 

the New Zealand hills, the Indian 

jungle, the African forest and veldt, and 

the wilds of tropical and polar America. 

Such a collection as is here made of 

photographs and accounts of the domestic 

animals of the world would alone be a 

valuable and entertaining contribution to 

literature. 

Another highly interesting feature is 

the large number of pictures given of the tn... ., f. g. ^m*. f.z.s 

• 1 r -. . • J u ^ 1 DOLPHINS 

animals of various sorts tramed by Carl ,.* . l a - j j ^ / # 

^ ihii pkQtograph tuas taken in mid-ocean ^ and shvtus a couple oj 

Hagenbeck and others, shown in ** happj* doipUnsfoiio^ving a ship across the Atlantic 




VI 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Phtf bj Fratelll AUnari] 



A HAPPY FAMILY 



[_FlTtni$ 



HjanOf tiger y and lions living in amity — a remarkabie proof of their tamer* $ power. In 
the same park at Hamburgh belonging to Herr Hagenbeck, are also bears, dogs^ leopards, and 
pumas, all loou together 



family" groups, or in the 
performances of various 
feats; for this is material 
toward a better knowl- 
edge of the mental char- 
acteristics and powers of 
the brutes, which is a sub- 
ject attractive to every 
thoughtful person, and upon 
which all the light is needed 
that can be gained. 

The editor has had em- 
inent assistance. Mr. F. C. 
Selous deals with the African 
Lion and the Elephants, with 
which he has had thrilling 
experiences; and other 

sportsmen treat of other game animals of the Dark Continent. To Mr. W. Saville- 

Kent, author of " The Great Barrier Reef, " has been assigned the Marsupials of Australia, 

and also the Reptiles generally. Sir 

Herbert E. Maxwell writes on the Salmon ^ 

family, and so on ; while Dr. Richard i 

Lydekker, Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, Mr. 

W. Kirby, and other specialists 

editorial advisers in regard to 

branches in which they stand 

authorities. 

Wherever it has not been possible to 

get really good pictures of some shy wild 

creature in its native haunt, living examples 

have been sought in the great Zoological 

Gardens of the world — London, Berlin, 

Antwerp, Florence, New York, Calcutta, 

Sydney, etc., — or in the parks of American 

men of wealth and European noblemen. 

These have been ** posed '* as nearly as 

possible in the surroundings natural to 

them, and faithful portraits have been ob- 
tained. Now and then it was desirable, in 

order to complete a family history, to 

include portraits of varieties which are not 

even known in captivity, and here the 



F. 
are 
the 

as 




ELEPHANTS 

This is another of Lord D f lamer e*s East African pAprogra^Jkt^ snd 
shows m couple of wild elephanu im tkt tftti 



INTRODUCTION 



vu 



museums have been drawn upon and 
photographs of stuffed specimens and 
groups, naturally mounted, have been 
obtained; but these cases are not many, 
and though less interesting serve their 
purpose almost as well as the " living 
pictures " that predominate from end to 
end of this portrait-gallery of the animal 
life of the globe. 

Such a book as this, covering in an 
entertaining style the whole range of 
zoology, carefully prepared by men of 
exact knowledge, yet avoiding technicali- 
ties, and wholly illustrated by precise 
reproductions of photographs, many of 
the full size of the quarto page and colored 
to life, is not only novel and beautiful, 
but of high value as an educator; and it 

would seem to be as indispensable a part ^'*" photograph of Mr. fVaher Rothschild riding on one of hit huge 

tortoises gives a good idea of the relative sisus of one of the ** giant tortoises * * 

of the library of every family and school- and a human hein^ 




Bj ftrmlnhn tf th« Htn, ff^alter Rtthtrhiid] 

GIANT TORTOISE 



[Tring 




Phtf bf FrattlU jIUnarQ 



lFl9r*nt§ 



A GROUP OF CROCODILIANS 



ji sjfondtr »f tmodtrn antmal'training. The photograph shows a number of Itving crocodilians wnk thtir trmner. They have been Ml 
exhibition in Florence for some years past^ and are stili to be seen there 



Vlll 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




room as is a dictionary or year- 
book, since by its aid all reading 
may be illuminated, and perchance 
corrected, and the whole view of 
nature enlightened and enlarged. 

Ernest Ingersoll. 



SOMALI ZEBRAS 

Tkii it a photograph of a group of suhras taken in Africa^ and gives towu idea of 

the surrounding country ^ where they Rve in happy freedom 



The special thanks of the Editor and 
Publishers are due to a great many 
naturalists and zoologists for the valuable 
help they have given to, and the interest 
they have taken in^ this work while it has 
been in preparation. No doubt, before the 
complete work is published, a great many 
more names will be added to the list, but 
meanwhile grateful acknowledgment should 
be made to the following : — Her Grace the 
Duchess of Bedford, wnb has kindly allowed 
many of her fine photographs to be repro- 
duced in these pages ; the Hon, Walter 
Rothschild, M. P., for the splendid collec- 
tion of photographs taken especially for him 
in all parts of the world; Lord Delamere^ 
Jor several unique photographs taken with 
a telephoto lens during his celebrated ex- 
pedition to Africa; Afajor Nott, F, Z. S., 
for the use of his scientific series of animal 
photographs; Dr. R. W, Shufeldt, of Washington, for many photographs of fish and other animals in their 
natural surroundings; Mr, W, Saville-Kent, F, Z. S.^ F, L, S,, for the photographs taken by him while 
in Australia; Mr, Lewis Medland, F, Z, S., for the use cf his singularly complete set of animal photographs; 
Herr Carl Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, for permission 
to use his photographs of some extremely rare speci- 
mens of animals which from time to time have found 
a temporary home at his wonderful Thierpark ; 
the Trustees of the British Museum, for permission 
to photograph some of their animals; Professor 
E, Ray Lankester, Director of the Natural History 
Branch of the British Museum; and the Zoological 
Society, for permission to photograph some of the 
animals. And also to Herr Ottomar Anschiitz, 
of Berlin; Messrs, Bond 6r* G rover, of the Scho- 
lastic Photographic Co.; Signor Alinari, of Florence ; 
Afessrs, Kerry &* Co, and Mr, Henry King, of 
Sydney; Mr, Charles Knight; Mr, J. W. 
McLellan; Messrs, Charles and William Reid; Fh,i. fy Dr, r, fr, Schu/sUt: r»'«.A«,»^ 

Messrs, A, S, Rudland 6r» Sons; and Messrs, SUN-FISH 

York &* Sons, for permission to reproduce their ^^^ ^kotograph wa^ taken through the ^ater by Dr. R. J^- SW^di. 
photographs, who hat made a tpecialtty of this kind of photngrmpk^ 





THE OLD HUNTER 





Pht9 *y G. U^. If^itsM V C*., Ltd.] 



A YOUNG CHIMPANZEE 

PUaiure 



lAb*rd9m 



Fear 



The Living Animals of The IVorld 



BOOK L MAMMALS 




CHAPTER I 

APES^ MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



• kf WrmulU AUnarl^ FUrtnct 

ARABIAN BABOON 



THE MAN-LIKE APES 

The Chimpanzee 

OF all the great apes the Chimpanzee most closely ap- 
proaches man in bodily structure and appearance, 
although in height it is less near the human standard 
than the gorilla, 5 feet being probably that of an adult male. 

Several races of this ape are known, among them the True 
Chimpanzee and the Bald Chimpanzee. The varieties also include 
the Kulo-kamba, described by Du Chaillu, and the Soko, discovered 
by Livingstone, who confounded it with the gorilla. But the varia- 
tions in neither of these are sufficiently important to justify their 
being ranked as species. 

The first authentic mention of the chimpanzee is found in 
« The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell," an English sailor 
taken prisoner by the Portuguese in 1590, who lived eighteen 
years near Angola. He speaks of two apes, the Pongo and 
the Enjocko, of which the former is the gorilla, the latter the 
chimpanzee. The animal was first seen in Europe in 1641, and 
descnbed scientifically fifty-eight years later, but we are indebted 
1 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



to Dr. Savage, a missionary, for 
our first account of its habits, 
in 1847. 

The chimpanzee, like the 
gorilla, is found only in Africa. 
The range includes West and 
Central Equatorial Africa, from 
the Gambia in the north to near 
Angola in the south, while it oc- 
curs in the Niam-Niam country 
to the northwest of the great 
lakes, and has been discovered 
recently in Uganda. The new 
Uganda Railway, which will open 
out the great lakes to the east, 
will bring many travelers well 
within reach of the nearest haunt 
of these great apes. It is on the 
likeness and difference of their 
form and shape to those of man 
that the attention of the world 
has been mainly fixed. 

The chimpanzee is a heavily 
built animal, with chest and arms 
of great power. The male is 
slightly taller than the female. 
The crown is depressed, the chin 
receding, the ridges which over- 
hang the eye-sockets more prom- 
inent than in man, less so than in 
the gorilla. The nose has a short 
bridge, and a flat extremity. The 
ear is large, and less human than that of the gorilla. The hands and feet are comparatively 
long ; the digits are, except the thumb and great toe, joined by a web. The arms are short for 
an ape, reaching only to the knees. The teeth are similar to those of man, and the canines of 
only moderate size. The chimpanzee has thirteen pairs of ribs, and, like man, has a suggestion 
at the end of the vertebrae of a rudimentary tail. It walks on all-fours, with the backs of its 
closed fingers on the ground, and can only stand upright by clasping its hands above its head. 
The skin is of a reddish or brown flesh-colour, the hair black with white patches on the lower 
part of the face. The bald chimpanzee has the top, front, and sides of the face bare, exceedingly 
large ears, thick lips, and black or brown hands and feet. 

The chimpanzee's natural home is the thick forest, where tropical vegetation ensures almost 
total gloom. But near Loango it frequents the mountains near the coast. It is a fruit-feeding 
animal, said to do much damage to plantations, but the bald race, at all events in captivity, takes 
readily to flesh, and the famous " Sally " which lived in the Zoo for over six years used to kill and 
eat pigeons, and caught and killed rats. The male chimpanzee builds a nest in a tree for his 
family, and sleeps under its shelter ; when food becomes scarce in the vicinity, a move is made, 
and a new nest built. This ape lives either in separate families or communities not exceeding 
ten in number, and is monogamous. 

As to the animal's courage, it is difficult to get accurate information, as the sins of the 




Fhaf hj SehtMstic Ffittt, C«0 

"JENNY," THE 



WELL-KNOWN 

A VERY CHARACTERISTIC 



[farsM^t Grttn 

CHIMPANZEE 

POSE 



Im tkit picturt tkt rounded ear, human-like tvrinkles on the forehead, and length of the 
toes should be noted 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



gorilla and baboon have often been laid on its shoulders, and information derived from natives is 
usually untrustworthy. Apparently the chimpanzee avoids coming into collision with man, 
although, when attacked, it is a formidable antagonist Tales of chimpanzees kidnapping women 
and children need stronger evidence than they have yet obtained. The natives kill this ape by 
spearing it in the back, or by driving it into nets, where it is entangled and easily dispatched. 
According to Livingstone, the Soko, as the chimpanzee is called in East Central Africa, kills the 
leopard by biting its paws, but falls an easy prey to the lion. 

In captivity it is docile and intelligent, but usually fails to stand a northern climate for more 
than a few months. It is easily taught to wear clothes, to eat and drink in civilised fashion, to 
understand what is said to it, and reply with a limited vocabulary of grunts. Sally learnt to 
count perfectly up to six, and less perfectly to ten; she could also distinguish white from any 
colour, but if other colours were presented her she failed, apparently from colour-blindness. Of 
this ape the late Dr. G. J. Romanes wrote with something more than the enthusiasm of a clever 
man pursuing a favourite theme : ** Her intelligence was conspicuously displayed by the remark- 
able degree in which she was able to 
understand the meaning of spoken lan- 
guage — a degree fully equal to that pre- 
sented by an infant a few months before 
emerging from infancy, and therefore 
higher than that which is presented by 
any brute, so far at least as I have 
evidence to show." Romanes here 
speaks only, be it noticed, of ability to 
understand human speech — not to think 
and act But this is in itself a great 
mark of intelligence on human lines, 
" Having enlisted the cooperation of the 
keepers, I requested them to ask the ape 
repeatedly for one straw, two straws, 
three straws. These she was to pick up 
and hand out from among the litter of 
her cage. No constant order was to be 
observed in making these requests ; but 
whenever she handed a number not asked 
for her offer was to be refused, while if 
she gave the proper number her offer 
was to be accepted, and she was to re- 
ceive a piece of fruit in payment. In 
this way the ape had learnt to associate 
these three numbers with the names. 
As soon as the animal understood what 
was required, she never failed to give 
the number of straws asked for. Her 
education was then completed in a similar 
manner from three to four, and from, 
four to five straws. Sally rarely made 
mistakes up to that number ; but above 
five, and up to ten, to which one of the 
keepers endeavoured to advance her 
education, the result is uncertain. It is 




i»A»f» hj G. IV. Wilson V C, L/rf.] 

A YOUNG CHIMPANZEE 

Thit excellent photograph, hy Major Nott, F.Z.H., it particularly good, 
as showing the manner in lohtch these aniwsals uu thetr hands and fett 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




evident that she understands the words seven, 
eight, nine, and ten to betoken numbers higher 
than those below them. When she was asked 
for any number above six, she always gave 
some number over six and under ten She 
sometimes doubled over a straw to make it 
present two ends, and was supposed (thus) to 
hasten the attainment of her task." By no 
means all the chimpanzees are so patient as 
Sally. One kept in the Zoological Gardens 
for some time made an incessant noise by 
stamping on the back of the box in which it 
was confined. It struck this with the flat of 
its foot while hanging to the cross-bar or perch, 
and made a prodigious din. This seems to 
bear out the stories of chimpanzees assembling 
and drumming on logs in the Central African 
forests. 

The Gorilla 

The name of this enormous ape has been 
known since 450 b. c. Hanno the Cartha- 
j>^.i. t, A. s. ftudundvs^s gi"*^"' when off Sierra Leone, met with wild 

HEAD OF MALE GORILLA ^len and women whom the interpreter called 

Tkhitaphotogra'pAof one of the first gorillas ever brought to England. GORILLAS. The malcS eSCaped and flung 

It ivas sent by the famous M. du chaiiiu stones from the rocks, but Several females were 

captured. These animals could not have been gorillas, but were probably baboons. Andrew 
Battell, already mentioned, described the gorilla under the name of Pongo. He says it is like a 
man, but without understanding even to put a log on a fire ; it kills Negroes, and drives off the 
elephant with clubs ; it is never taken alive, but its young are killed with poisoned arrows ; it 
covers its dead with boughs. Dr. Savage described it in 1847. Later Du Chaillu visited its 
haunts, and his well-known book relates how he met and killed several specimens. But Mr. 
Winwood Reade, who also went in quest of it, declared that Du Chaillu, like himself, never 
saw a live gorilla. Von Koppenfels, however, saw a family of four feeding, besides shooting 
others. The late Miss Kingsley met several, one of which was killed by her elephant-men. 

The gorilla has a limited range, extending from 2° north to 5° south latitude in West Africa, 
a moist overgrown region including the mouth of the Gaboon River. How far east it is found 
is uncertain, but it is known in the Sierra del C/istal. In 1851-52 it was seen in considerable 
numbers on the coast. 

The Gorilla is the largest, strongest, and most formidable of the Primates. An adult male 
is from 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet high, heavily built, with arms and chest of extraordinary power. 
The arms reach to the middle of the legs. The hands are clumsy, the thumb short, and the 
fingers joined by a web. The neck scarcely exists. The leg has a slight calf. The toes are 
stumpy and thick ; the great toe moves like a thumb. The head is large and receding, with 
enormous ridges above the eyes, which give it a diabolical appearance. The canine teeth are 
developed into huge tusks. The nose has a long bridge, and the nostrils look downwards. The 
ear is small and man-like. 

In colour the gorilla varies from deep black to iron-gray, with a reddish tinge on the head ; 
old animals become grizzled. The outer hair is ringed gray and brown ; beneath it is a wooUy 
growth. The female is smaller — not exceeding 4 feet 6 inches — and less hideous, as the canines 




By permission of Herr Umlauff. 

THE LARGEST GORILLA EVER CAPTURED. 
This huge ape, 5 feet 5 inches high, measures a distance of over 8 feet from finger to finger. 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



are much smaller, and the ridges above the eyes are not noticeable, a feature common also to the 
young. 

Timid, superstitious natives and credulous or untrustworthy travelers have left still wrapped 
in mystery many of the habits of this mighty ape, whose fever-stricken, forest-clad haunts render 
investigation always difficult, often impossible. Many tales of its ferocity and strength are 
obviously untrue, but we think that too much has been disbelieved. That a huge arm descends 
from a tree, draws up and chokes the wayfarer, must be false, for intelligent natives have con- 
fessed to knowing no instance of the gorilla attacking man. That it vanquishes the leopard is 
probable ; that it has driven the lion from its haunts requires proof. Nor can we accept tales of 
the carrying off of Negro women ; and the defeat of the elephants; too, must be considered a 
fiction. 

But we must believe that this ape, if provoked or wounded, is a terrible foe, capable of rip- 
ping open a man with one stroke of its paw, or of cracking the skull of a hunter as easily as a 
squirrel cracks a nut. There is a tale of a tribe that kept an enormous gorilla as executioner, 
which tore its victims to pieces, until an Englishman, doomed to meet it, noticing a large swell- 
ing near its ribs, killed it with a heavy blow or two on the weak spot. 

Gorillas live mainly in the trees on whose fruit they subsist ; they construct a shelter in the 
lower boughs for the family, and as a lying-in place for the female. The male is said to sleep 
below, with his back against the tree — a favourite attitude with both sexes — to keep off leopards. 
On the ground it moves on all-fours, with a curious swinging action, caused by putting its hands 
with fingers extended on the ground, and bringing its body forward by a half-jump. Having a 
heel, it can stand better than other apes ; but this attitude is not common, and Du Chaillu appears 
to have been mistaken when he de- 



scribes the gorilla as attacking upright. 

In captivity only immature speci- 
mens have been seen — Barnum's great 
ape being one of the larger forms of 
chimpanzee. Accounts vary as to the 
temper of the gorilla, some describing 
it as untamable, while others say it 
is docile and playful when young. 
There is a wonderful tale that a 
gorilla over 6 feet high was captured 
near Tanganyika, but nothing more 
has reached us about it. 

When enraged, a gorilla beats its 
breast, as the writer was informed by 
a keeper, who thus confirmed Du 
Chaillu's account. Its usual voice is 
a grunt, which, when the animal is 
excited, becomes a roar. 

The Orang-utan 

This great red ape was mentioned 
by Linnaeus in ^766, and at the begin- 
ning of the last century a specimen 
living in the Prince of Orange's col- 
lection was described by Vosmaer. 

There are three varieties of the 
Orang, called by the Dyaks Mias- 






i-ym: 



:S' 




Bj ftrmisshn 0/ Htrr OmUuf^ 

A MALE GORILLA 



{^Hmmkurg 



This photograph of the largest gorilla known was taken immeSatelj^fter death 
by Herr Paschen at Yaunde^ and gives an excellent idea of the si$u of these ani- 
mals as compared with Negrues, The animal weighed ^OO lbs. 



6 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



PAPPAN, MiAS-RAMBi, and MiAS-KASsu, the third of which is smaller, has no cheek-excrescences, 
and very large teeth. Some naturalists recognise a pale and a dark race. 

Most of our information is due to Raja Brooke and Dr. Wallace. The species is confined to 
Borneo and Sumatra, but fossils have been found in India of this genus, as well as of a chim- 
panzee. The orang is less man-like than the chimpanzee and gorilla. In height the male varies 
from 3 feet lo inches to 4 feet 6 inches, the female being a few inches shorter. It is a heavy 
creature, with large head — often a foot in breadth — thick neck, powerful arms, which reach nearly 
to the ankles, and protuberant abdomen. Its legs are short and bowed. The forehead is high, 
the nose fairly large, the ears very human. The throat is ornamented with large pouches, and 
there are often callosities on the cheeks. The fingers are webbed, the thumb small, the foot long 

and narrow, the great toe 
small and often without a 
nail. The brain is man like, 
and the ribs agree in number 
with those of man ; but there 
are nine bones in the wrist, 
whereas man, the gorilla, and 
the chimpanzee have but 
eight. The canine teeth are 
enormous in the male. The 
hair, a foot or more long on 
the shoulders and thighs, is 
yellowish red: there is a 
slight beard. The skin is 
gray or brown, and often, in 
adults, black. 

The orang is entirely a 
tree-living animal, and is only 
found in moist districts where 
there is much virgin forest. 
On the ground it progresses 
clumsily on all-fours, using 
its arms as crutches, and with 
the side only of its feet on the 
ground. In trees it travels 
deliberately but with perfect 
ease, swinging along under- 
neath the branches, although 
it also walks along them semi-erect. It lives alone with mate and young, and builds a sleeping 
place sufficiently low to avoid the wind. Its food is leaves and fruit, especially the durian ; its 
feeding-time, midday. 

No animal molests the mias save — so say the Dyaks — the python and crocodile, both of 
which it kills by tearing with its hands. It never attacks man, but has been known to bite 
savagely when brought to bay, and it is very tenacious of life, one being found by Mr. Wallace 
still alive after a fall from a tree, when " both legs had been broken, its hip-joint and the root of 
the spine shattered, and two bullets flattened in neck and jaws." 

L captivity young orangs are playful and docile, but passionate. Less intelligent than 
chimpanzees, they may be taught to eat and drink nicely, and to obey simple commands. One 
in the Zoo at present has acquired the rudiments of drill. They will eat meat and eggs, and 
drink wine, beer, spirits, and tea. An orang described years ago by Dr. Clarke Abel was allowed 




Phtf by Otumar jtHtthutx"] 

YOUNG ORANG-UTANS 



IB^rlin 



It will he teen here^from the profile y that the young anthropoid ape hat ony the upper part of 
the head at all approaching the human type 



8 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



the run of the ship on the voyage to England, and would play with the sailors in the rigging. 
When refused food he pretended to commit suicide, and rushed over the side, only to be found 
under the chains. 

The orang is the least interesting of the three great apes ; he lacks the power and brutality 
of the gorilla and the intelligence of the chimpanzee. " The orang," said its keeper to the writer, 
*' is a buffoon ; the chimpanzee, a gentleman." 

It is worth remark that, although all these apes soon die in menageries, in Calcutta, where 
they are kept in the open, orangs thrive well 

The Gibbons 

Next after the great apes in man-like characters come a few long-armed, tailless apes, known 
as the Gibbons. Like the orang-utan, they live in the great tropical forests of Asia, especially 




P1iot$ hf Otfmar AnsehOnc] 

TWO BABY ORANG-UTANS. 



lB0rUn 



THE TUG-OF-WAR 



the Indian Archipelago ; like the latter, they are gentle, affectionate creatures ; and they have 
also a natural affection for man. But it is in mind and temperament, rather than in skeleton, 
that the links and differences between men and monkeys must be sought. It will be found that 
these forest apes differ from other animals and from the true monkeys mainly in this — that they 
are predisposed to be friendly to man and to obey him, and that they have no bias towards mis- 
chief, or " monkey tricks." Tliey are thoughtful, well behaved, and sedate. 

The SiAMANG, one of the largest of the long-armed, tailless gibbons, lives in the Malay 
Archipelago. The arms of a specimen only 3 feet high measured 5 feet 6 inches across. This, 
like all the gibbons, makes its way from tree to tree mainly by swinging itself by its arms. But 
the siamang can tva/k upright and run. One kept on board ship would walk down the cabin 
breakfast-table without upsetting the china. The White-handed Gibbon is found in Tenasserim, 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



southwest of Burma. This ape has a 
musical howl, which the whole flock utters 
in the early mornings on the tree-tops. In 
Northern India, in the hills beyond the 
Brahmaputra, lives another gibbon, the 
HuLOCK. One of these kept in captivity 
soon learnt to eat properly at meals, and to 
drink out of a cup, instead of dipping his 
fingers in the tea and milk and then suck- 
ing them. The Silvery Gibbon kept at 
the Zoological Gardens was a most amiable 
pet, and had all the agility of the other 
gibbons. It is very seldom seen in this 
country, being a native of Java, where it is 
said to show the most astonishing activity 
among the tall cane-groves. One of the 
first ever brought to England belonged to 
the great Lord Clive. The Agile Gibbon 
is another and darker ape of this group. 

The list of the man-like ape closes 
with this group. All the gibbons are 
highly specialised for tree-climbing and an 
entirely arboreal life ; but it is undeniable 
that, apart from the modifications necessary 
for this, such as the abnormal length of 
the arms, the skeleton closely resembles 
none of these apes show any remarkable 
so simple a way, by plucking fruits and 





Fh9f h r»ri ^ S*h] 



HULOCK GIBBON 



Th» gnat Un^tk of arm tn companton tvitA tht body and ktad 44viud ktrt do 

noud 



Phf hj r^rk V S»h\ {Nttting Hill 

WHITE-HANDED GIBBON 
Tkii gibbon is found tn tkefortm of the Malay Archipelago 

that of the human being. In their habits, when wild, 
degree of intelligence ; but their living is gained in 
leaves, that there is nothing in their surroundings to 
stimulate thought. They do not need 
even to think of a time of famine or 
winter, or to lay up a stock of food for 
such a season, because they live in the 
forests under the Equator. 

MONKEYS 

The Dog-shaped Monkeys 

After the gibbons come a vast 
number of monkeys of every conceiv- 
able size, shape, and variety, which 
naturalists have arranged in consecutive 
order with fair success Until we reach 
the Baboons, and go on to the South 
American Monkeys and the Lemurs, it 
is not easy to give any idea of what 
these monkeys do or look like merely 
by referring to their scientific groups. 
The usual order of natural histories will 
here be followed, and the descriptions 
will, so far as possible, present the 



iNtuing Hill 



lO 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




habits and appearance of the 
monkeys specially noticed. 

This great family of true 
monkeys contains the Sacred 
Monkeys, or Langurs, of India, the 
Guerezas and Guenons of Africa, 
the Mangabeys, Macaques, and 
Baboons. Most of them have 
naked, hard patches of skin on the 
hindquarters, and the partition be- 
tween the nostrils is narrow. Some 
have tails, some none, and they 
exhibit the most astonishing dif- 
ferences of size and shape. Per- 
haps the most grotesque and 
astonishing of them all is the 
Proboscis Monkey. It is allied 
to the langurs, and is a native of 
the island of Borneo, to which it 
is confined ; its home is the west 
bank of the Sarawak River. It 
is an arboreal creature, living in 
small companies. Mr. Hose, who 
Fhttt by A. s. Rudimnd V sms saw thcm in their native haunts^ 

HEAD OF PROBOSCIS MONKEY says that the proboscis monkeys 

A naave 0/ Borneo, Next to the orang-utan^ the most unking tmonkty in the Malay kept in the treeS Overhanging the 

Archipei^o rivcr, and were most difficult to 

shoot. " I saw altogether about 1 50 of these monkeys, and without a single exception all were 
in trees over the water, either lake, river, or in submerged forest. As long as they are in sight, 
they are very conspicuous objects, choosing the most commanding positions on open tree-tops. 
Once I saw thirteen in one tree, sitting lazily on the branches, as is their habit, sunning them- 
selves, and enjoying the scenery." They are very striking animals in colour, as well as in form. 
The face is cinnamon-brown, the sides marked with reddish brown and white, the belly white, 
the back red-brown and dark brown. Next to the orang-utan, these are the most striking 
monkeys in the Malay Archipelago. 

The greater number of the species intermediate between the gibbons and the New World 
species are called «* Dog-shaped " Monkeys. We wonder why ? Only the baboon and a few 
others are in the least like dogs. The various Sacred Monkeys of India are often seen in this 
country, and are quite representative of the " miscellaneous " monkeys in general. Most of them 
have cheek-pouches, a useful monkey-pocket. They poke food into their pouches, which unfold 
to be filled, or lie flat when not wanted ; and with a pocketful of nuts or rice on either side of their 
faces, they can scream, eat, bite, or scold quite comfortably, which they could not do with their 
mouths full. The pouchless monkeys have only their big stomachs to rely on. 

The Entellus Monkey is the most sacred of all in India. It is gray above and nutty 
.brown below, long-legged and active, a thief and an impudent robber. In one of the Indian 
cities they became such a nuisance that the faithful determined to catch and send away some 
hundreds. This was done, and the holy monkeys were deported in covered carts, and released 
many miles off*. But the monkeys were too clever. Having thoroughly enjoyed their ride, they 
all refused to part with the carts, and, hopping and grimacing, came leaping all the way back 
beside them to the city, grateful for their outing. One city obtained leave to kill the monkeys ; 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



II 



but the next city then sued them for " killing their deceased ancestors." In these monkey- 
infested cities, if one man wishes to spite another, he throws a few handfuls of rice on to the roof 
of his house about the rainy season. The monkeys come, find the rice, and quietly lift off many 
of the tiles and throw them away, seeking more rice in the interstices. 

This is not the monkey commonly seen in the hills and at Simla. The large long-tailed 
monkey there is the Himalayan Langur, one of the common animals of the hills. " The 
langur," says Mr. Lockwood Kipling in his " Beast and Man in India," " is, in his way, a king of 
the jungle, nor is he often met with in captivity. In some parts of India troops of langurs come 
bounding with a mighty air of interest and curiosity to look at passing trains, their long tails 




fhtf if A, S. Rudland V S»n$ 



CROSS-BEARING LANGUR AND YOUNG 

A Jortu monkey of Borneo 



lifted like notes of interrogation ; but frequently, when fairly perched on a wall or tree alongside, 
they seem to forget all about it, and avert their heads with an affectation of languid indifference." 
In India no distinction is made between monkeys. It is an abominable act of sacrilege to 
kill one of any kind. In the streets holy bulls, calves, parrakeets, sparrows, and monkeys all rob 
the shops. One monkey-ridden municipality sent off its inconvenient but holy guests by rail, 
advising the station-master to let them loose at the place to which they were consigned. The 
station, Saharanpur, was a kind of Indian Chicago, and the monkeys got into the engine-sheds and 
workshops among the driving-wheels and bands. One got in the double roof of an inspection- 



12 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



car, and thence stole mutton, corkscrews, camp-glasses, and dusters. Among many other inter- 
esting and correct monkey stories of Mr. Kipling's is the following : •' The chief confectioner of 
Simla had prepared a most splendid bride-cake, which was safely put by in a locked room, that, 
like most back rooms in Simla, looked out on the mountainside. It is little use locking the 
door when the window is left open. When they came to fetch the bride-cake, the last piece of 
it was being handed out of the window by a chain of monkeys, who whitened the hillside with 
its fragments." 

From India to Ceylon is no great way, yet in the latter island different monkeys are found. 
The two best known are the White-bearded Wanderoo Monkey and the Great Wanderoo. 
Both are grave, we.l-behaved monkeys. The former has white whiskers and a white beard, and 
looks so wise he is called in Latin Nestor , 2i(X.^T the ancient counsellor of the Greeks. Nice, clean 
little monkeys are these, and pretty pets. The great wanderoo is rarer. It lives in the hills. 
" A flock of them," says Mr. Dallas, " will take possession of a palm-grove, and so well can they 
conceal themselves in the leaves that the whole party become invisible. J'he presence of a dog 
excites their irresistible curiosity, and in order to watch his movements they never fail to betray 
themselves. They may be seen congregated on the roof of a native hut. Some years ago the 
child of a European clergyman, having been left on the ground by a nurse, was bitten and teased 
to death by them. These monkeys have only one wife." Near relatives of the langurs are the 
two species of Snub-nosed Monkeys, one of which (see figure on page i8) inhabits Eastern Tibet 
and Northwestern China, and the other the valley of the Mekong. 




MALE HIMALAYAN LANGUR 
ji idng of tlU juHgitf not often met with in captivity 



The Guerezas and Guenons 

Among the ordinary monkeys 
of the Old World are some with 
very striking hair and colours. 
The GuEREZA of Abyssinia has 
bright white and black fur, with 
long white fringes on the sides. 
This is the black-and-white skin 
fastened by. the Ab^ssinians to 
their shields, and, if we are not 
wrong, by the Kaffirs also. 
Among the Guenons, a large 
tribe of monkeys living in the 
African forests, many of which 
find their way here as " organ 
monkeys," is the Diana, a most 
beautiful creature, living on the 
Guinea Coast. It has a white 
crescent on its forehead, bluish- 
gray fur, a white beard, and a 
patch of brilliant chestnut on 
the back, the belly white and 
orange. A lady, Mrs. Bowditch, 
gives the following account of 
a Diana monkey on board ship. 
It jumped on to her shoulder, 
stared into her face, and then 
made friends, seated itself on her 
knees, and carefully examined her 




GELADA BABOONS AT HOME 

Tkis pko^grtpk it froMfly umqut^ at a gelada baboon hat been rarely tun. It tkowt them at home looking for fiod on the ground under tkg 
bamboot and palmu It was tahen by Lord Delamere in the East African jungle 

13 



14 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fh^9 bj A. $. Rudland 6f* S»nt 

MANTLED GUEREZA 

TAis group of monkeys supplies the *^ monkey mujfs** once -very fashionabk. 
The tfedei with white plumes is used to decorate the Kapr shields 



hands. " He then tried to pull off my 
rings, when I gave him some biscuits, 
and making a bed for him with my hand- 
kerchief he then settled himself comfort- 
ably to sleep ; and from that moment we 
were sworn allies. When mischievous, 
he was often banished to a hen-coop. 
Much more effect was produced by taking 
him in sight of the panther, who always 
seemed most willing to devour him. On 
these occasions I held him by the tail 
before the cage ; but long before I reached 
it, knowing where he was going, he pre- 
tended to be dead. His eyes were closed 
quite fast, and every limb was as stiff as 
though there were no life in him. When 
taken away, he would open one eye a 
little, to see whereabouts he might be; 
but if he caught sight of the panther's 
cage it was instantly closed, and he be- 
came as stiff as before." . This monkey 
stole the men's knives, tools, and hand- 
kerchiefs, and even their caps, which he 
threw into the sea. He would carefully 
feed the parrots, chewing up biscuit and 
presenting them the bits ; and he caught 
another small monkey and painted it 
black ! Altogether, he must have enliv- 
ened the voyage. The Grivet Monkey, 
the Green Monkey, the Mona Monkey, 
and the Manga bey are other commonly 
seen African species. 



The Macaques 

The Macaques, of which there are many kinds, from the Rock of Gibraltar to far Japan, 
occupy the catalogue between the guenon and the baboon. The Common Macaque and many 
others have tails. Those of Japan, and some of those of China, notably the Tcheli Monkey, 
kept outside the monkey-house at the Zoo, and the Japanese Macaque, at the other entrance, are 
tailless, and much more like anthropoid apes. The Tcheli monkey is large and powerful, but 
other macaques are of all sizes down to little creatures no bigger than a kitten. Some live in the 
hottest plains, others in the mountains. The Common Macaque, found in the Malay Archi- 
pelago, is a strong, medium-sized monkey. The Formosan Macaque is a rock-living creature ; 
those of Japan inhabit the pine-groves, and are fond of pelting any one who passes with stones 
and fir-cones. The Bonnet Macaque is an amusing little beast, very fond of hugging and 
nursing others in captivity. The BANDAR or RHESUS MONKEY, a common species, also belongs 
to this group. But the most interesting to Europeans is the M AGOT, or Barbary Ape. It is the 
last monkey left in Europe. There it only lives on the Rock of Gibraltar. It was the monkey 
which Galen is said to have dissected, because he was not permitted to dissect a human body. 
These monkeys are carefully preserved upon the Rock. Formerly, when they were more com- 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



15 




PImf fy L. Mtdland, F.Z,S,-] 

DIANA MONKEY 



N»rth FituMty 



One of tht most gaily coloured monkeys of Africa 

The Baboons 

Far the most interesting of the apes in 
the wild state are the Baboons. Their dog- 
like heads (which in some are so large and 
hideous that they look like a cross between 
an ill-tempered dog and a pig), short bodies, 
enormously strong arms, and loud barking 
cry distinguish them from all other creatures. 
The greater number — for there are many 
kinds — live in the hot, dry, stony parts of 
Africa. They are familiar figures from the 
cliffs of Abyssinia to the Cape, where their 
bold and predatory bands still occupy Table 
Mountain. They are almost the only animals 
which the high-contracting Powers of Africa 
have resolved not to protect at any season, 
so mischievous are they to crops, and recently 
to the flocks. They kill the suckling lambs, 
and tear them to pieces for the sake of the 
milk contained in their bodies. 

One of the best-known baboons is the 
Chacma of South Africa. The old males grow 
to a great size, and are most formidable 
creatures. Naturally, they are very seldom 
caught ; but one very large one is in the 
Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, at the time 
of writing. The keeper declares he would 
rather go into a lion's cage than into the den 
of this beast when angry. Its head is nearly 
one-third of its total length from nose to the 
root of the tail. Its jaw-power is immense, 
and its forearm looks as strong as Sandow's. 



mon, they were very mischievous. The fol- 
lowing story was told by Mr. Bidcup : ''The 
apes of the Rock, led by one particular 
monkey, were always stealing from the kit of 
a certain regiment encamped there. At last 
the soldiers caught the leader, shaved his 
head and face, and turned him loose. His 
friends, who had been watching, received him 
with a shower of sticks and stones. In these 
desperate circumstances the ape sneaked back 
to his old enemies, the soldiers, with whom 
he remained." Lord Heathfield, a former 
Governor of the Rock, would never let 
them be hurt; and on one occasion, when 
the Spaniards were attempting a surprise, the 
noise made by the apes gave notice of their 
attempt. 




^xtuerOMFf 



Phcto by G, W, WiUon df Co., Ltd,\ 

BARBARY APE 

The last of the European monkeys on this side o/the Mediterramsanf 
and it is only found on the Rock 0/ CiOraltar 



i6 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Like all monkeys, this creature has the power of 
springing instantaneously from a sitting position ; and 
its bite would cripple anything from a man to a 
leopard. The chacmas live in companies in the kopjes, 
whence they descend to forage the mealie-grounds, 
river-beds, and bush. Thence they come down to steal 
fruit and pumpkins or corn, turn over the stones and 
catch beetles, or eat locusts. Their robbing expedi- 
tions are organised. Scouts keep a lookout, the females 
and young are put in the centre, and the retreat is pro- 
tected by the old males. Children in the Cape Colony 
are always warned not to go out when the baboons are 
near. When irritated — and they are very touchy in 
their tempers — the whole of the males will some- 
times charge and attack. The possibility of this is 
very unpleasant, and renders people cautious. 

Not many years ago a well-known sportsman 
was shooting in Somaliland. On the other side of a 
rocky ravine was a troop of baboons of a species of 
which no examples were in the British Museum. 
Though he knew the danger, he was tempted to 
shoot and to secure a skin. At 200 yards he killed one dead, which the rest did not notice. 
Then he hit another and wounded it. The baboon screamed, and instantly the others sat up, 
saw the malefactor, and charged straight for him. Most fortunately, they had to scramble down 
the ravine and up again, by which time the sportsman and his servant had put such a distance 
between them, making " very good time over the flat," that the baboons contented themselves 
by barking defiance at them when they reached the level ground. 

They are the only mammals which thoroughly understand combination for defense as well as 
attack. But Brehm, the German traveler, gives a charming story of genuine courage and 
self-sacrifice shown by one. His hunting dogs gave chase to a troop which was retreating 
to some cliffs, and cut off a very young one, which ran up on to a rock, only just out of reach of 
the dogs. An old male baboon saw this, and came along to the rescue. Slowly and deliberately 
he descended, crossed the open 




Vh^u hy C. Rti£\ \WUhaw^ N.B, 

RHESUS MONKEY 

A young specimen of the common Bengal monkey 



space, and stamping his hands on 
the ground, showing his teeth, and 
backed by the furious barks of the 
rest of the baboons, he discon- 
certed and cowed these savage 
dogs, climbed on to the rock, 
picked up the baby, and carried 
him back safely. If the dogs had 
attacked the old patriarch, his 
tribe would probably have helped 
him. Burchell, the naturalist after 
whom Burchell's zebra is named, 
let his dogs chase a troop. The 
baboons turned on them, killed 
one on the spot by biting through 
the great blood-vessels of the 
neck, and laid bare the ribs of 




?h»u fy A. S, Rudland ^ Sms 

RHESUS MONKEY AND SOOTY MANGABEY 

The too(y mangahey (to the right of the picture) is gentle and compamonable, but piOh 
lant and active 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



17 





Fh»u fy L. M$dlandy F.Z. S.y N^rtk Finchlty 

GREY-CHEEKED MANGABEY 
One of the tmall African monkeys 



FhtU hj A. S. Rudland ^ Stnt 

CHINESE MACAQUE 

This monkey lives in a climate as cold as oitn 



another. The Cape 
Dutch in the Old Colony 
would rather let their 
dogs bait a lion than 
a troop of baboons. 
The rescue of the infant 
chacma which Brehm 
saw himself is a remarka- 
ble, and indeed the most 
incontestable, instance 
of the exhibition of 
courage and self-sacri- 
fice by a ma/e animal. 

If the baboons were 
not generally liable to 
become bad-tempered 
when they grow old, they 
could probably be 
trained to be among the most useful of animal helpers and servers; but they are so 
formidable, and so uncertain in temper, that they are almost too dangerous for attempts at 
semi-domestication. When experiments have been made, they have had remarkable results. Le 
Vaillant, one of the early explorers in South Africa, had a chacma baboon which was a better 
watch than any of his dogs. It gave warning of any creature approaching the camp at night long 
befjre the dogs could hear or smell it. He took it out with him when he was shooting, and used 
to let it collect edible roots for him. The latest example of a trained baboon only died a 
few years ago. It belonged to a railway signalman at Uitenhage station, about 200 miles 
up-country from Port Elizabeth, in Cape Colony. The man had the misfortune to undergo 
an operation in which both his feet were amputated, after being crushed by the wheels of a train. 
Being an ingenious fellow, he taught his baboon, which was a full-grown one, to pull him along the 
line on a troUey to the •' distant" signal. There the baboon stopped at the word of command, and 
the man would work the lever himself. But in time he taught the baboon to do it, while he sat 
on the trolley, ready to help if any mistake were made. 

The chacmas have for 
relations a number of other 
baboons in the rocky parts 
of the African Continent, 
most of which have almost 
the same habits, and are 
not very different in ap- 
pearance. Among them 
is the Gelada Baboon, a 
species very common in 
the rocky highlands of 
Abyssinia ; another is the 
Anubis Baboon of the West 
Coast of Africa. The latter 
is numerous round the 
Portuguese settlement of 
Angola. Whether the so- 
called Common Baboon of 





Tir' 



PJm* kf nrk ^ S»H. Nttttng Hill 

GRIVET MONKEY 

is the small monkey commonly taken ahout 
toitA street-organs 



Phof fy A. S. Rudland A» S9Ht 

BONNET MONKEY. AND ARA- 
BIAN BABOON (on thl right) 



i8 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




iStrth ThuhUf 



the menageries is a separate species or 
only the young of some one of the above- 
mentioned is not very clear. But about 
another variety there can be no doubt. It 
has been separated from the rest since the 
days of the Pharaohs. It does not differ in 
habits from the other baboons, but inhabits 
the rocky parts of the Nile Valley. It 
appears in Egyptian mythology under the 
name of Thoth, and is constantly seen in 
the sculptures and hieroglyphs. 

Equally strong and far more repulsive 
are the two baboons of West Africa — ^the 
Drill and the Mandrill. As young 
specimens of these beasts are the only ones 
at all easily caught, and these nearly always 



PJk*to hf L. MtdUnd^ F.Z.S.'\ 

RHESUS MONKEYS 
Tkii photograph is particularly interesting. It was actually taken hy another die when Cutting their SeCOnd teeth when in 

moMhy, which pressed the hutton of Mr. MedianiCs c-mera captivity, large adult mandrills are seldom 

seen in Europe. They grow to a great 
size, and are probably the most hideous of all beasts. The frightful nose, high cheek-bones, and 
pig-like eyes are the basis of the horrible heads of devils and goblins which Albert Durer and 
other German or Dutch mediaeval painters sometimes put on canvas. Add to the figure the mis- 
placed bright colours — cobalt-blue on the cheeks, which are scarred, as if by a rake, with scarlet 
furrows, and scarlet on the but- 
tocks — and it will be admitted that 
nature has invested this massive, 
powerful, and ferocious baboon 
with a repulsiveness equaling in 
completeness the extremes* of 
grace and beauty manifested in the 
roe-deer or the bird of paradise. 

The natives of Guinea and 
other parts of West Africa have 
consistent accounts that the 
mandrills have tried to carry off 
females and children. They live 
in troops like the chacmas, 
plunder the fields, and, like all 
baboons, spend much time on 
the ground walking on all-fours. 
When doing this, they are quite 
unlike any other creatures. They 
walk slowly, with the head bent 
downwards, like a person walking 
on hands and knees looking for 
a pin. With the right hand 
(usually) they turn over every 

stick and stone, looking for insects, fju. ^ a. s. RudUnd ^ s»nt 

scorpions, or snails, and these they ORANGE SNUB-NOSED MONKEY 

seize and eat. The writer has seen ^^' '^^"^ ^ contrasted with the Prohosds Monkey 




APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



19 



baboons picking up sand, and straining it through their fingers, to see if there were ants in it 
He has also seen one hold up sand in the palm of its hand, and blow the dust away with its 
breath, and then look again to see if anything edible were left. Mandrills kept in captivity until 
adult become very savage. One in Wombwell's menagerie killed another monkey and a beagle. 
Mr. Cross owned one which would sit in an armchair, smoke, and drink porter; but these 
convivial accomplishments were accompanied by a most ferocious temper. 

One of the earliest accounts of the habits of the Abyssinian baboons was given by Ludolf in 
his " History of Ethiopia." It was translated into quaint, but excellent old English : " Of Apes," 
he says, " there are infinite flocks up and down in the mountains, a thousand and more together, 
and they leave no stone unturned. If they meet with one that two or three cannot lift they call 
for more aid, and all for the sake of the Worms that lye under, a sort of dyet which they relish 
exceedingly. They are very greedy after Emmets. So that having found an emmet hill, they 




Phf fy Otfinar jtntchutsc] 

•* Footing the line.' 



PIG-TAILED MONKEY 

Note how the monkey uses itsjeet as hands when walking on a branch 



iBtrlln 



presently surround it, and laying their fore paws with the hollow downward upon the ant heap, 
as soon as the Emmets creep into their treacherous palms they lick 'em off, with great comfort to 
their stomachs. And there they will lye till there is not an Emmet left. They are also perni- 
cious to fruits and apples, and will destroy whole fields and gardens unless they be looked 
after. For they are very cunning, and will never venture in till the return of their spies, 
which they send always before, who, giving all information that it is safe, in they rush with their 
whole body and make a quick despatch. Therefore they go very quiet and silent to their prey ; 
and if their young ones chance to make a noise, they chastise them with their fists ; but if the 
coast is clear, then every one has a diTerent noise to express his joy." Ludolf clearly means the 
baboons by this description. 

A more ancient story deals with Alexander's campaigns. He encamped on a mountain on 
which were numerous bands of monkeys (probably baboons). On the following morning the 
sentries saw what looked like troops coming to offer them battle. As they had just won a 



20 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



victory, they were at a loss 
to guess who these new foes 
might be. The alarm was 
given, and the Macedonian 
troops set out in battle-array. 
Then through the morning 
mists they saw that the 
enemy was an immense troop 
of monkeys. Their prisoners, 
who knew what the alarm 
was caused by, made no small 
sport of the Macedonians. 

The Speech of Monkeys 

Something should be said 
of the alleged "speech of 
monkeys " which Professor 
Garner believed himself to 
have discovered. He rightly 
excluded mere sounds showing 
joy, desire, or sorrow from the 
faculty of speech, but claimed 
to have detected special words, 
one meaning " food," another 
" drink," another " give me 
that," another meaning 
" monkey," or an identification 
of a second animal or monkey. 
He used a phonograph to 
keep permanent record of the 
sounds, and made an expe- 
dition to the West African forests in the hope that he might induce the large anthropoid 
apes to answer the sounds which are so often uttered by their kind in our menageries. 
The enterprise ended, as might have been expected, in failure. Nor was it in the least 
necessary to go and sit in a cage in an African forest in the hope of striking up an acquaint- 
ance with the native chimpanzees. The little Capuchin monkeys, whose voices and sounds he 
had ample opportunity of observing here, give sufficient material for trying experiments in the 
meaning of monkey sounds. The writer believes that it is highly probable that the cleverer 
monkeys have a great many notes or sounds which the others do understand, if only because 
they make the same under similar circumstances, otherwise they would not utter them. They 
^re like the sounds which an intelligent but nearly dumb person might make. Also they have 
very sharp ears, and some of them can understand musicar sounds, so far as to show a very 
marked attention to them. The following account of an experiment of this kind, when a violin 
was bemg played, is related in " Life at the Zoo " : " The Capuchin monkeys, the species selected 
by Proiessor Garner for his experiments in monkey language, showed the strangest and most 
amusing excitement. These pretty little creatures have very expressive and intelligent faces, and 
the play and mobility of their faces and voices while listening to the music were extraordinarily 
lapid. The three in the first cage at once rushed up into their box, and then all peeped out, 
chattering and excited. One by one they came down, and listened to the music with intense 
cunosity . shrieking and making faces at a crescendo, shaking the wires angrily at a discord, and 




Phtf by Otttmar jlnichUtx} [B*rlin 

CHACMA BABOON 
TJkis photograph shows his attitude when about to make an attach 



1 




^jtoM 17 C Jtti^ 



A YOUNG MALE CHACMA BABOON 



{H^tifiaw^ N, A 



Note tkt protruSng tusk in the upper jaw, A baboon fitting in thi$ position of rest cam imtantly leap stx or seven feet^ and inflict a 

danf'erous btte 



22 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



putting their heads almost upside-down in 
efforts at acute criticism at low and musical 
passages. Every change of note was marked 
by some alteration of expression in the faces 
of the excited little monkeys, and a series of 
discordant notes roused them to a passion 
of rage." At the same time a big baboon, 
chained up near, evidently disliked it. He 
walked off in the opposite direction to the 
farthest limits of his chain. 

The American Monkeys 

Mention of the Capuchins takes us to 
the whole group of the American Monkeys. 
Nearly all of these live in the tropical forests 
of Brazil, Guiana, Venezuela, and Mexico. 
They are all different from the Old World 
monkeys, and many are far more beautiful. 
The most attractive of the hardier kinds are 
tlie Capuchins ; but there are many kinds of 
rare and delicate little monkeys more beauti- 
ful than any squirrel, which would make the 
most delightful pets in the world, if they were 
not so delicate. To try to describe the Old 
World monkeys in separate groups from end 
to end is rather a hopeless task. But the 
American monkeys are more manageable by 
the puzzled amateur. Most of them have a 
broad and marked division between the nos- 
trils. which are not mere slits close together, but like the nostrils of men. :^^yj'° }^2 
iTuman-looking rounded heads. Their noses are of the "cog.tat:ve" order, mstead of bemg 

snouts or snubs with narrow 

openings in them ; and the 

whole face is in many ways 

human and intelligent. The 

Howler Monkeys, which 

utter the most hideous 

sounds ever heard in the 

forests, and the Spider 

Monkeys are the largest. 

The latter have the most 

wonderfully developed 

limbs and tails for catching 

and climbing of any living 

animals. As highly special- 
ised creatures are always 

interesting, visitors to any 

zoological garden will find 




tn»t„ uj A. 01. Rud and (s* «><""J 

HEAD OF MALE MANDRILL 
Thit is one of the most hideous of Mng animals. The natives of 
West Africa hold it in greater Sslike even than the large carmvf>ra, 
from the mischief it does to tkar crops 





eiufby X.. Mtdiandy F.Z.S.^ Ntrth finthltj 

BROWN CAPUCHIN 



The most intelligent of the common monkeys it WOrth while tO Watch a 
if America. It uses many sounds to expreu 
emotions^ and perhaps 



desires 



spider monkey climbing, 



Ph»t» At L. Mtdland^ F.Z,S.^ Ntrth FtnOHtj 

DRILL 

Its habits i 



Only less ugly than the Mandrill, 
the same 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



23 




Fhf fy A. S. RudUnd ^ Smi 

RED HOWLER MONKEY 
TJkt ma/i possesses a most extraordinary tfoici 



WW, ^^HBVI^^^H ^^^^ ^ ^^ '^ always worth while to watch a great snake 

''^'* ^ ^^"^^ on the move. The tail is used as a fifth hand: the 

Indians of Brazil say they catch fish with it, which is 
not true. But if you watch a spider monkey moving 
from tree to tree, his limbs and tail move like the five 
fingers of a star-fish. Each of the extremities is as 
sensitive as a hand, far longer in proportion than an 
ordinary man's arm, and apparently able to work in- 
dependently of joints. The monkey can do so many 
things at once that no juggler can equal it. It will 
hold fruit in one hand, pick more with one foot, place 
food to the mouth with another hand, and walk and 
swing from branch to branch with the other foot and 
tail, all simultaneously. These monkeys have no 
visible thumb, though dissection shows that they have 
a rudimentary one ; but the limbs are so flexible that 
they can put one arm round behind their heads over 
on to the opposite shoulder, and brush the fur on their upper arm. The end of the tail seems 
always " feeling " the air or surroundings, and has hairs, thin and long, at the end, which aid it 
in knowing when it is near a leaf or branch. It is almost like the tentacle of some sea 
zoophyte. Gentle creatures, all of them, are these spider monkeys. One of them, of the species 
called Waita, when kept in captivity, wore the fur off its forehead by rubbing its long gaunt 
arms continually over its brow whenever it was scolded. The spider monkeys differ only in 
the degree of spidery slenderness in their limbs. In disposition they are always amiable, and in 
habits tree climbers and fruit-eaters. 

The Capuchins are, in the writer's opinion, 
the nicest of all monkeys. Many species are 
known, but all have the same round merry faces, 
bright eyes, pretty fur, and long tails. There is 
always a fair number at the Zoological Gardens. 
They are merry, but full of fads. One hates chil- 
dren and loves ladies ; another adores one or two 
other monkeys, and screams at the rest. All are 
fond of insects as well as of fruit. A friend of the 
writer kept one in a large house in Leicestershire. 
It was not very good-tempered, but most amusing, 
climbing up the blind-cord first, and catching and 
eating the flies on the window-panes most dexter- 
ously, always avoiding the wasps. This monkey 
was taught to put out a lighted paper (a useful 
accomplishment) by dashing its hands on to the 
burning part, or, if the paper were twisted up, by 
taking the unlighted end and beating the burning 
part on the ground ; and it was very fond of turning 
the leaves of any large book. This it did not only 
by vigorous use of both arms and hands, but by 
putting its head under too, and "heaving" the 
leaves over. 

In the private room behind the monkey- 
house at the Zoo there are always a number of the 




?*.!• 0/ A. S, Rudland d* S*nt 

A SPIDER MONKEY 
Tkis monkey is specially adapted for arboreal Ufa. 
act* as a fifth hand 



Tk$ Mk 



24 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




PATAS MONKEY 
Found in iVta Africa^ A large and brilliantly coloured tfecia 



rare and delicate monkeys from America, 
which cannot stand the draughts of the outer 
house, like the Capuchins and spider monkeys. 
The greater number of these come from tropical 
America. There, in the mighty forests, so lofty 
that no man can climb the trees, so dense that 
there is a kind of upper story on the interlaced 
tree-tops, where nearly all the birds and many 
mammals live without descending to earth, 
forests in which there is neither summer nor 
winter, but only the changes from hour to hour 
of the equatorial day, the exquisite Marmosets, 
whose fur looks like the plumage and whose 
twittering voices imitate the nbtes of birds, live 
and have their being. They are all much alike 
in shape, except that the Lion Marmoset's 
mane is like that of a little lion clad in floss silk ; 
and they all have sharp little claws, and feed 
on insects. The Pinche Marmoset from the 
Guiana forests has a face like a black Indian 
chief, with white plumes over his head and neck 
like those worn by a " brave " in full war-paint. 
Merchants who do business with Brazil very 
frequently import marmosets and the closely 



allied tamarins as presents for friends at home in England ; 
the Brazilians themselves like to have them as pets also ; so 
there is to some extent a trade demand for them. 

Among the most delicate of American monkeys are the 
OuKARis, which have somewhat human faces, exquisite soft 
fur, and are as gentle as most of these forest creatures. They 
seldom live long in captivity, a few months being as much as 
they will generally endure, even in Brazil. Perhaps the rarest 
of all is the white-haired Scarlet-faced Oukari. This monkey 
has long white hair from neck to tail, sandy whiskers, and a 
bright scarlet face. It lives in a district of partly flooded forest, 
and is only obtained by the Indians using blow-pipes and 
arrows dipped in very diluted urari poison. The White- 
headed Saki is a rare and very pretty little monkey of Brazil ; 
and there are a very large number of other species of this 
group v/hose names it would be mere weariness to mention. 
All these small monkeys are very quick and intelligent, while 
the rapidity of their movements, their ever-changing expres- 
sion, and sharp, eager cries heighten the idea of cleverness 
given by their general appearance. Other little imps of these 
forests are the Squirrel Monkeys. In the common species 
the face is like a little farry man's, its arms brilliant yellow (as 
if dipped in gamboge dye), the cheeks pink, and eyes black. 
In habits it is a quick-tempered, imperious little creature, 
carnivorous, and a great devourer of butterflies and beetles. 

The most beautiful and entertaining of all monkeys are 




?h*f by C. Rtid] 

wanderoo 



MONKEY 



The number of monkeys which ha've ironing 
manes is large. The manes act as capes to kup 
the dew and wet from their chests and shouldtru 




K««<« bf A, s. RudUnd ar tM* 

COMMON SQUIRREL MONKEY 

Tkt Sfuirre/ monkeys ka've lofty brigkt'Coloured fur^ and iong^ hairy tatlt. Tkty art found from Mtxuu to Paraguof 
A 2S 



26 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




i A«ie £// A, S, Rudland ^ Smt 

BLACK-EARED MARMOSET 

TMeu are among the prettiest of small tropical monkeys in America f tkey are 
^nsect-feeden^ and very delicate 



these New World species. No person 

clever at interpreting the ways of ani- 
mals would fail to consider them far 

more clever and sympathetic than the 

melancholy anthropoid apes, while 

for appearance they have no equals. 

Probably the most attractive monkey 

in Europe is a South American one 

now in the London Zoological Gardens. 

It was first mentioned to Europeans by 

Baron von Humboldt, who saw it in the 

cabin of an Indian on the Orinoco. 

These forest Indians of South America 

are gentle creatures themselves. Among 

other amiable qualities, they have a 

passion for keeping pets. One who 

worked for a friend of the writer, with 

others of his tribe, was asked what he 

would take in payment, which was given in kind. The others chose cloth, axes, etc. This 

Indian said that he did not care for any of these things. He said he wanted a " poosa." No 

one knew what he meant. He signed that he wished to go to the house and would show them. 

Arrived there, he pointed to the cat ! " Pussy," to the Arawak Indian, was a " poosa," and that 

was what he wanted as a month's wages. Humboldt's Indian had something better than a 
/'poosa." It was a monkey, as black as coal, with a round head, long thickly furred tail, and 

bright vivacious eyes. The explorer called it the Lagothrix, which means Hare-skin Monkey. 

The fur is not the least like a hare's, but much resembles that of an opossum. The more suitable 

name is the Woolly Monkey. The one kept at the Gardens is a most friendly and vivacious 

creature, ready to embrace, play and make friends with any well-dressed person. It dislikes 

people in working-clothes which are dirty or soiled — a not uncommon aversion of clever animals. 

In spite of all the vari- 
et.es of temperament in the 
monkey tribe, from the genial 
little Capuchins to the morose 
old baboon, they nearly all 
have one thing in common — 
that is, the monkey brain. 
The same curious restlessness, 
levity, and want of concentra- 
tion mark them all, except the 
large anthropoid apes. Some 
of these have without doubt 
powers of reflection and con- 
centration which the other 
monkeys do not possess. But 
in all the rest, though the 
capacity for understanding 




flm» h, L. Midland, F,Z. S,-] [ s>rth FHuMt, 

HUMBOLDT'S WOOLLY MONKEY 
7!A/i h tie meet popular monkey in captivity. He looks for all the world like a Negro, and JUs 
s moU heautifulf eofi^ woolly coat. He it very tame, and loves nothing better than being petted 



exists, the wish to please, as 
a dog does, and the desire 
to remember and to retain 
what it has learnt, seem 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



27 



almost entirely wanting. Egoism, which is a sign of humam dementia, is a very leading 
characteristic of all monkeys. There is no doubt that the baboons might be trained to be 
useful animals if they always served one master. Le Vaillant and many other travelers have 
noted this. But they are too clever^ and at the bottom too ill-tempered ever to be trust- 
worthy, even regarded as " watches," or to help in minor manual labour. Baboons would 
make an excellent substitute for dogs as used in Belgium for light draught; but no one 
could ever rely on their behaving themselves when their master's eye was elsewhere. 

Taken as a family, the monkeys are a feeble and by no means likeable race. They are 
« undeveloped " as a class, full of promise, but with no performance. 



THE LEMURS 

The South American monkeys, with their 
forms and fur, are followed by a beautiful and 
of creatures, called the Lemurs, with their 
Maholis, and Pottos. Their resemblance to 
their hands and feet. These are real and 
hands, with proper thumbs. The second 
always terminates in a long, sharp 
alist, who kept them as pets no- 
themselves with. Some of them 
sensitive disk, full of extra 
** Unlike the lively squirrels 
hiding-places till the tropicalj 
when they seek their 
but by ascending to the 
and again, at the firsit ap- 1 
the light in the recesses 
The Ring-tailed Lemur 
most of the race are ?^o 
the light seems to 
they turn over^ 
same inarticu- 
But at night 
they fly from 
so that the 
whether they 
ghosts of their 



squirrel-like 

^ interesting group 

cousins the Lorises, 

onkeys is mainly in 

\^ery highly developed 

toe on the hind foot nearly 

claw, ** Elia," the Indian natur- 

ticed that they used this to scratch 

have tlie finger-tips expanded into a 

nerves. Lemur means " ghost." 

and monkej*s, they do not leave their 

darkness has fallen on the forest, 

food, not by descending to the ground, 

upper surface of the ocean of trees, 

proach of dawn, seek refuge from 

of some dark and hollow trunk, 

is a.s lively by day as night; but 

entirely creatures of darkness that 

stupefy them. When wakened, 

like sleeping children, with the 

late cries and deep, uneasy sighs. 

most are astonishingly active; 

tree to tree, heard, but invisible; 

natives of Madagascar doubt 

are not true Icmures, the unquiet 

departed dead. 

Though the lemurs are here treated apart from the other animals of Madagascar, it will be 
obvious that they are a curious and abnormal tribe. This is true of most of the animals of that 
great island, which has a fauna differing both from that of the adjacent coast of Africa and from 
that of India or Australia. In the Fossa, a large representative of the Civets, it possesses a 
species absolutely unlike any other. The Aye-aye is also an abnormal creature. Nor must it 
be forgotten that Madagascar was until recently the home of some of the gigantic ground-living 
birds. But, after all, none of its inhabitants are more remarkable than its hosts of lemurs, some 
of which are to be met with in almost every coppice in the island. There are also many extinct 
kinds. 

Exquisite fur, soft and beautifully tinted, eyes of extraordinary size and colour (for the pupil 
shuts up to a mere black line by day, and the rest of the eye shows like a polished stone of rich 
brown or yellow or marble gray), are the marks of most of the lemurs. But there are other 
lemur-like creatures, or " lemuroids," which, though endowed with the same lovely fur, like 




Ph*t9 fy Otttmar ^nschiitsc] 

PIG-TAILED MONKEY CATCHING 

Most of the smaller monkeys, as well as tkebaboonSj are fond of eating 
insects. Beetles^ wAite ants, and flies are eagerly sought and devoured 



28 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Ph»t* bj L. Midland^ F.Z.S.^ [North Finchlty 

RING-TAILED LEMUR 

This lemur is often kept as a i^mestic animal^ and allowed to run about the 

house like a cat 



softest moss, have no tails. The strangest 
of all are two creatures called the Slender 
LoRis and the Slow Loris. The slender 
loris, which has the ordinary furry coat of 
the lemurs, and no tail, moves on the 
branches exactly as does a chameleon. 
Each hand or foot is slowly raised, brought 
forward, and set down again. The fingers 
then as slowly close on the branch till its 
grasp is secure. It is like a slow-working 
mechanical toy. Probably, this is a habit, 
now instinctive, gained by ages of cautiously 
approaching insects. But the result is to 
give the impression that the creature is 
almost an automaton. 

Madagascar is the main home of the 
lemurs, though some of the related animals 
are also found in Africa and in the East 
Indies. But the dense forests of the great 
island are full of these curious nocturnal beasts, of which there are so many varieties presenting 
very slight differences of form and habit, that naturalists have some difficulty in giving even a 
complete list of their species. Add to this that nearly all of them are intensely and entirely 
nocturnal, and the scarcity of data as to their habits is easily accounted for. When seen by us, 
their, faces all lack expression — that is to say, the eyes, which mainly give expression, seem 
entirely vacant and meaningless. But this is due to their special adaptation to seeing in the dark 
tropical night. By day the pupil of the eye almost disappears. If only we could also see in 
the dark, the eyes of the lemur might have as much expression as those of a faithful dog. The 
change which night makes in their general demeanour is simply miraculous. By day many of 
them are like hibernating animals, almost incapable of movement. When once the curtain of 
night has fallen, they are as active as squirrels, and as full of play as a family of kittens. The 
Ring-tailed Lemur is often kept as a pet, both in Madagascar and . in the Mauritius. It is 
one of the very few which are diurnal in their habits. When in a hurry it jumps along, standing 
on its hind feet, like a little kangaroo, but holding its tail upright behind its back. It will 
follow people up-stairs in this way, jumping from step to step, 
with its front paws outstretched, as if it were addressing an 
audience. The French call these day lemurs Maris. The 
ring-tailed lemur lives largely among rocks and precipices. 
Most of these creatures live upon fruit, the shoots and leaves 
of trees, and other vegetable food. But, like the squirrel, they 
have no objection to eggs and nestlings, and also kill and eat 
any small birds and insects. Some of the smaller kinds are 
almost entirely insect-feeders. The largest kind of lemur 
belongs to the group known as the Indris. The Black-and- 
white Indri measures about two feet in length. It has only a 
rudimentary tail, large ears, and a sharp-pointed nose. The 
amount of white colouring varies much in different individ- 
uals. This variation in colouring — a very rare feature among 
wild mammalia, though one of the first changes shown when 
animals are domesticated — is also found in the next three 
species, called Sifakas. The Diademed Sifaka, the Woolly 




Phtf fy L, Midland^ F.Z.S., Ntrth Finthltj 

A dwarf lemur 

These tiny animals take the place of the dor- 
mouse in Madagascar 



APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



2q 



Indri, and the Black Indri all belong to this group. 
The SiFAKAS, as some of these and the allied forms 
are called, are venerated by the Malagasys, who never 
kill one intentionally. Mr. Foster observes that 
*• they live in companies of six or eight, and are 
very gentle and inoffensive animals, wearing a very 
melancholy expression, and being as a rule morose, 
inactive, and more silent than the other lemurs. 
They rarely live long in captivity. In their native 
state they are most alert in the morning and evening, 
as during the day they conceal themselves under the 
foliage of trees. When asleep or in repose, the head 
is dropped on the chest and buried between the 
arms, the tail rolled up on itself and disposed between 
the hind legs. The sifakas live exclusively on vege- 
table substances, fruits, leaves, and flowers, their diet 

not be- 




Phttt by L. Midland^ F.Z.S} iNnth ttnihltj 

BLACK LEMUR 

Found on the coast of Madagascar 




r)utt *f L. Midland^ F.Z.S., North Flnehltj 

COQUEREL'S LEMUR 

A lemur wAicA strongly objects to being awakened in the day- 



lemur, and pushes out its sharp 
little face just above the thigh 
of the mother. The Woolly 
Indri has more woolly fur than 
the others of its tribe, a shorter 
nose, and a longer tail. 

The True Lemurs 

Of these there are several 
species, all confined to Mada- 
gascar and the Comoro Islands. 
One of the best known is the 
Ring-tailed Lemur, mentioned 
above. It is called Lemur Catta, 
the Cat Lemur, from being so 
often kept in domestication. The 
Weasel Lemur, the Gray Lemur, 
the Mouse Lemur, the Gentle 
Lemur, the Sportive Lemur, the 



ing varied, as in the other lemurs, by small birds, 
eggs, or insects. Their life is almost entirely 
arboreal, for which the muscles of their hands and 
feet, as well as the parachute-like folds between 
their arms and bodies, and their peculiar hooked 
fingers, are well fitted. The young one is carried 
by the mother on its back, its hands grasping her 
armpits tightly." 

This is not the universal way of carrying the 
young among lemurs. The Crowned Lemur, a 
beautiful gray-and-white species, often breeds at 
the Zoo. The female carries its young one 
partly on its side. The infant clings tightly with 
arms and tail round the very slender waist of the 




Ph»t» bj L, Midland^ F.Z,S.} [North FInehltj 

RUFFED lemur 

dnothe' of the nocturnal lemurs. It Itves mainly on fruit and insect* 



30 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




?*•/• iy L. Midland, F.Z.S'\ [N»rth Finthltj 

GARNETT'S GALAGO 

One of the sfuirrel-iike lemuroids 



r^^^^HH Crowned Lemur, and Coquerel's Lemur, all 
^^^^^H represent various small, pretty, and interesting 
^ ^^^^^B varieties of the group. The Black-and-white 

ji^rfM^Hi^febta^ l^^^l Lemur, one of the larger kinds, is capable of 

domestication. A specimen kept in a London 
house, where the present writer saw it, was always 
called " Pussy " by the children. The other small 
kinds are very like squirrels, mice, weasels, and 
other creatures, with which they have no connec- 
tion. It seems as though the curiously limited 
and primitive fauna of Madagascar tried to make 
up for its want of variety by mimicking the 
forms of other animals, and something of the 
same kind is seen in Australia, where the mar- 
supials take the place of all kinds of ordinary mammals. There are marsupial rats, marsupial 
wolves, marsupial squirrels, and even marsupial moles. The small squirrel and rat-like lemurs 
are calleJ Chirogales. Coquerel's Lemur is really a chirogale. It is a quaint and by no 
means amiable little animal, sleeping obstinately all day, and always ready to growl and bite 
if disturbed. Its colour is brownish gray and cream-colour. A pair of these, rolled up tightly 
into balls in a box of hay, will absolutely refuse to move, even when handled. They only 
feed by night. * 

The Galagos 

An allied group, confined to tropical Africa, is that of the Galagos. They are most beau- 
tiful little creatures, whose nearest relatives are the Malagasy lemurs. Generally speaking, they 
have even more exquisite fur than the lemurs. It is almost as soft as floss silk, and so close that i 
the hand sinks into it as into a bed of moss. The colour of the fur is rich and pleasing, gener- 
ally some shade of brown. The head is small, the nose pointed, and the ears thin, hairless, and 
capable of being folded up, like the wings of a beetle. But the most beautiful feature of the gal- 
agos is their eyes. These are of immense size, compared with the head. The eye is of the 
richest and most beautiful brown, like a cairngorm stone, but not glassy or clear. Though quite 
translucent, the eye is marked with minute dividing-lines, like the grain in an agate — a truly 
exquisite object. When handled or taken in the arms, the little galago clasps the fingers or 
sleeve tightly, as if it thought it was holding 
a tree, and shows no disposition to escape. A 
family of three or four young ones, no larger 
than mice, with their large-eyed mother attend- 
ing to them, forms an exquisitely dainty little 
group. The galagos vary from the size of a 
squirrel to that of a small cat. The kind most 
often seen in England is the Maholi Galago 
from East Africa. Another species comes 
from Senegal, and others from Calabar and the 
forests of the Gold Coast. Garnett's Galago, 
another species, is shown above. They may 
be regarded as nocturnal tropical lemuroids, 
analogous to the chirogales of Madagascar. It . 

, , . I '.I . i_ i_'T^ J.1- ^ Ph»t9iy L. Midland^ F.Z,S1 TNtrth Flmhln 

has been suggested, with great probability, that MAHOLI GALAGO 

the intensely drowsy sleep of many of the This littU animal is a nati-ve of East Africa, h has 'very large eyu^ 

lemuroid animals corresponds to the hiberna- and fur as soft as the chinchilla* s 




APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 



31 





tion of many northern mammak. Tropical animals 
often become torpid to avoid the famine caused by 
the hot season, just as creatures in cold countries 
hibernate to avoid the hunger which would otherwise 
come with winter. 



E ,. .... 

^R^ * ^^^^^Bl^^ ^9l^ Another group of lemuroids is distinguished from 

I f^^lB*l^^^^B^^^^ ^^^ foregoing by having the second finger of the fore 

f ^t^^^^k^^^^^m ^^ paws either very short or rudimentary. The thumb 

.^j^^S^^Bf^f ^^^ ^nd great toe are also set very widely apart from the 

other fingers and toes. A far more striking distinc- 
tion to the non-scientific eye is their astonishingly 
deliberate and slow movements. They have no tails, 
enormous eyes, and very long, slender legs. 

The Slow Loris is found in Eastern India and 
the Malay countries, where it is fairly common in the 
forests. The Bengali natives call it sharmindi billi 
(" bashful cat "), from its slow, solemn, hesitating 
movements when in pursuit of insects. Of a slow 
loris kept by him, Sir William Jones, in the " Asiatic 
Researches," wrote : " At all times he seemed 
pleased at being stroked on the head and throat, and he frequently allowed me to touch his 
extremely sharp teeth. But his temper was always quick, and when he was unseasonably 
. disturbed he expressed a little resentment, by an obscure murmur, like that of a squirrel. . . . 
When a grasshopper or any insect alighted within his reach, his eyes, as he fixed them on his 
prey, glowed with uncommon fire ; and having drawn himself back to spring on his prey with 
greater force, he seized it with both his fore paws, and held it till he had devoured it. He never 
could have enough grasshoppers, and spent the whole night in prowling for them." 

The Slender Loris, an equally curious creature, is only found in Southern India 
and Ceylon. Its food consists entirely of insects, which it captures by gradual, almost 
paralysed approach. Its has been described as a " furry-coated chameleon." A group 
of slow lemurs, living in Western Africa, are known as Pottos. They are odd little quad- 
rupeds, in which the " forefinger " never 



rh»f hj L, Mtdlandy F.Z.5.] ^Ntrth Finchltj 

SLENDER LORIS 

Thit extraor£nary creature has the habits of a chameleon when 

seeing insuts for food. The photograph is unique 



grows to be more than a stump. The 
tail is also either sharp or rudimentary. 
They are as slow as the lorises in their 
movements. 

In the Malay islands a distant rela- 
tive, even more curiously formed, is found 
in the Tarsier. It has the huge eyes, 
pointed ears, and beautiful fur of the 
galagos, but the tail is long, thin and 
tufted. The fingers are flattened out into 
disks, like a tree-frog's. These creatures 
hop from bough to bough in a frog-like 
manner in search of insects. They are 
not so large as a good-sized rat. Our 
photograph does not give an adequate 
idea of the size of the eyes. 




Ph»u hj L. MtdUnd, F.Z.S.] iNtrth Fimhlty 

SLOW LORIS 

jinother of the slo'Uf-mo'ving loris group. These animals are not sho%vn to tht 
general public at the Zoo^ but kept in a specially warmed room 



32 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The Aye-aye 




rhtu by A. S. RudUnd Of Stms 

TARSIER 
7icj» /itt/e attimais hop about in tht trees like frogs. 



They are nocturnal^ and seldom 



y ^^^ Last, and most remarkable of 

all these weird lemuroids, is the 
Aye-aye. It is placed in a group 
by itself, and has teeth like 
those of the Rodents, a large 
bushy tail, and most extra- 
ordinarily long, slender fingers, 
^^ ^^ -^^^iB^^^^^^^*«^^^i^^^ j"^r which it probably uses for pick- 

[^^*^^^[t|^^^^^^^^^^^^^2^^^9^9H^^^^ ing caterpillars and grubs out of 
f * ^^l^^^^^^l^^^ flK^^T ^V^^l^ rotten wood. It is nearly as large 
I "^^^^^h^^^JrSl^ ^B^^^L ^j^ r^ as an Arctic fox, but its habits 

t^ ^|Ku^^H|C^^^L^ ^ ^ ^ ^ are those of a lemur. In Mada- 

^m -^ ^^^W^B^fe^^^*?**^U . gascar it haunts the bamboo 

^^ . ^^^ ^^^P%BSiS^ m ■ , forests, feeding on the juice of 

E ^tCfWSu ^'^S^^^^Jt sugar-cane, grubs, and insects. 

■K .J^b^lP\. 1 i .^^^^R The fingers of its hands are of 

1^^ ^^^K*** ^^f**^. ^ ^^ different sizes and lengths, though 

all are abnormally long and slender. 
The second finger seems to have 
" wasted," but is said to be of the 
utmost value to its owner in ex- 
tracting grubs and insects from the burrows in which they dwell, or the crannies in which they 
may have taken refuge. Very seldom is this animal seen alive in captivity. Although com- 
monly called Aye-aye in this country, it is doubtful if this is really its native name. The aye- 
aye was long a puzzle to naturalists, but is now classed as a lemuroid. 

The living races of animals have thus far been reviewed along the completed list of the first 
great order — the Primates. Even in that circumscribed group how great is the tendency to 
depart from the main type, and how wonderful the adaptation to meet the various needs of the 
creatures' environment! The skeletons, the frames on which 
these various beings are built up, remain the same in character; 
but the differences of proportion in the limbs, of the muscles 
with which they are equipped, and of the weight of the bodies to 
be moved are astonishing. Compare, for instance, the head of the 
male Gorilla, with its great ridges of bone, to which are attached 
the muscles which enable it to devour hard tropical fruits and 
bite off young saplings and bamboos, with the rounded and 
delicate head of the Insect-eating Monkeys of South Africa; or 
set side by side the hand of the Chimpanzee with that of the Aye- 
aye, with its delicate, slender fingers, like those of a skeleton 
hand. What could be more diverse than the movements of these 
creatures, whose structure is nevertheless so much alike? Some of 
the lemuroids are as active as squirrels, flying lightly from branch 
to branch ; in others, as the Slow Lorises, the power of rapid move- 
ment has disappeared, and been replaced by a creeping gait which 
cannot be accelerated. Already, in a single order, we see the rich 
diversity of nature, and its steady tendency to make all existing 




?A«r« h L. Midland^ F.Z.S.^ S. Finchlt^ 

HEAD OF AYE-AYE 

The aye-aye lives mainly in the xoUd 
and feeds on insect* 



things serviceable by adapting other parts of creation to their use Td72S''^di « .n ,*, jmc^tf .», 



or enjoyment. 



sugar-cane 




Photo by Charles Knight, Aldcrshot. 

AFRICAN LION AND LIONESS. 
These animals are so numerous in East Africa that they are exempted from protection. 




Fh9to fy Frattlli jllinari] 



lFUrtnc§ 



AFRICAN LION 
TAis Hon it a/most in the attitude of thou sculptured by Sir Edwin Landseer for the Nelson Monument^ but the feet are turned in, not lying JUt 

CHAPTER II 



T 



THE CAT TRIBE 

HOUGH only one species is entirely domesticated, and none of the Cats have flesh edible 
by man, except perhaps the puma, no group of animals has attracted more interest than 
this. Containing more than forty species, ranging in size from the ox-devouring tiger or 

lion to the small wild cats, they are so alike in habit and struc- 
ture that no one could possibly mistake the type or go far 
wrong in guessing at the habits of any one of them. They are 
all flesh-eaters and destroyers of living animals. All have 
rounded heads, and an extraordinary equipment of teeth and of 
claws, and of muscles to use them. The blow of the forearm 
of a Iron or tiger is inconceivably powerful, in proportion to its 
size. A stroke from a tiger's paw has been known to strike 
off" a native's arm from the shoulder and leave it hanging by a 
piece of skin, and a similar blow from a lion to crush the 
skull of an ox. The true cats are known by the power to 
draw back, or " retract," their claws into sheaths of horn, 
rendering their footsteps noiseless, and keeping these weapons 
always sharp. The hunting-leopard has only a partial capacity 
for doing this. 

The characteristics of the Cats and their allies are too well 
known to need description. We will therefore only mention 
the chief types of the group, and proceed to give, in the fullest 
detail which space allows, authentic anecdotes of their life and 
habits. The tribe includes Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Pumas, 
Jaguars, a large number of so-called Tiger-cats (spotted and 
striped), Wild Cats, Domestic Cats, and Lynxes. The 
Hunting-leopard, or Cheeta, stands in a sub-group by itself, 
as does the Fossa, the only large carnivore of Madagascac 
33 




Bj ftrmiitim •/ Utrr Carl Uagtnbttk^ Hamburg 

AN UNWILLING PUPIL 

This Is one of Herr HagenbecIC s famous ferform- 
ing tigers 



34 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




This closes the list of the most cat-like 
animals. The next links in the chain 
are formed by the Civets and Genets, 
creatures witli more or less retractile 
claws, and long, bushy tails; the still 
less cat-like Binturong, a creature with 
a prehensile tail; and the Mongooses 
and Ichneumons, more and more nearly 
resembling the weasel tribe. 

THE LION 

Recent intrusions for railways, 
sport, discovery, and war into Central 
and East Africa have opened up new 
lion countries, and confirmed, in the most 
striking manner, the stories of the power, 
the prowess, and the dreadful destruc- 
tiveness to man and beast of this king 
of the Carnivora. At present it is found 
in Persia, on the same rivers where 
Nimrod and the Assyrian kings made its 
pursuit their royal sport; in Gujerat, 
where it is nearly extinct, though in 
General Price's work on Indian game 
written before the middle of the last 
century it is stated that a cavalry officer 
killed eighty lions in three years ; and in Africa, from Algeria to the Bechuana country. It 
is especially common in Somaliland, where the modern lion-hunter mainly seeks his sport. 
On the Uganda Railway, from Mombasa to Lake Victoria, lions are very numerous and 
dangerous. In Rhodesia and the Northern Transvaal they have killed hunters, railway officials, 
and even our soldiers near Komati Poort. It has been found that whole tracts of country are 
still often deserted by their inhabitants from fear of lions, and that the accounts of their ravages 
contained in the Old Testament, telling how Samaria was almost deserted a second time from 
this cause, might be paralleled to-day. 

The African Lion 

BY F. C. SELOUS 

When, in the latter half of the seventeenth century, Europeans first settled at the Cape 
of Good Hope, the lion's roar was probably to be heard almost nightly on the slopes of Table 
Mountain, since a quaint entry in the Diary of Van Riebeck, the first Dutch governor of the 
Cape, runs thus : " This night the lions roared as if they would take the fort by storm " — the said 
fort being situated on the site of the city now known as Cape Town. 

At that date there can be little doubt that, excepting in the waterless deserts and the dense 
equatorial forests, lions roamed over the whole of the vast continent of Africa from Cape Agulhas 
to the very shore of the Mediterranean Sea ; nor was their range very seriously curtailed until 
the spread of European settlements in North and South Africa, and the acquisition of firearms 
by the aboriginal inhabitants of many parts of the country, during the latter half of the nineteenth 
century, steadily denuded large areas of all wild game. 

As the game vanished, the lions disappeared too ; for although at first they preyed to a 
large extent on the domestic flocks and herds which gradually replaced the wild denizens of the 



Phtf by r»rk ^ S»n\ \_N»tting Hill 

LIONESS AROUSED 

The pose of the animal here shows attention, hut not anger or fear 




FlUto by M. Gei9tr\ 



ALGERIAN LIONESS 
TkU iimuss, HtHng umUr an oUvc^ct^ was actually photographid in tki Soudan by ihi intrepid M. Gfiar 



lAlgigrs 



35 



36 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




once-uninhabited plains, this practice 
brought them into conflict with the white 
colonists or native herdsmen armed with 
weapons of precision, before whom they 
rapidly succumbed. 

To-day lions are still to be found 
wherever game exists in any quantity, and 
their numbers will be in proportion to those 
of the wild animals on which they prey. 

The indefinite increase of lions must 
be checked by some unknown law of 
nature, otherwise they would have be- 



A FOSTER-MOTHER 

TAis is a remarkable photograph of a utter tuckling three lion cubs which 
had lost their mother. It is reproduced here by permission of the Editor 
ofthtlAihTvdi 

come SO numerous in the sparsely inhabited or 
altogether uninhabited parts of Africa, that they 
would first have exterminated all the game on 
which they had been wont to prey, and would 
then have had to starve or to have eaten one 
another. But such a state of things has never been 
known to occur; and whenever Europeans have 
entered a previously unexplored and uninhabited 
tract' of country in Africa, and have found it 
teeming with buflaloes, zebras, and antelopes, 
they have always found lions in such districts 
very plentiful indeed, but never in such numbers 
as to seriously diminish the abundance of the 
game upon which they depended for food. 





?*•<• bj C. »'. U^lt»n 6»* C, Ltd.] 

LIONESS AND CUB 
Uou cubs thrive both in DubRn and Amsterdam, but not so toell at the London Zoo 



By ftrmhiUn tf Htrr Csrl Uagtnhicti] iHamhirg 

A PERFORMING LION 

Lions f it would seem, are capable of being taught almost anythif^p 

even tricycle-riding 



It is easy to understand 
that the increase of a herd 
of herbivorous animals would 
be regulated by the amount 
of the food -supply available, 
as well as constantly checked 
by the attacks of the large 
carnivora, such as lions, 
leopards, cheetas, hyaenas, and 
wild dogs ; but I have never 
been able to comprehend 
what has kept within bounds 
the inordinate increase of 
lions and other carnivorous 
animals in countries where 
for ages past they have had 
an abundant food-supply, and 
at the same time, having 



ijtk«rd$*n 



THE CAT TRIBE 



37 



been almost entirely unmolested by human beings, have had no enemies. Perhaps such a 
state of things does not exist at the present day, but there are many parts of Africa where such 
conditions have existed from time immemorial up to within quite recent years. 

Since lions were once to be found over the greater portion of the vast continent of Africa, 
it is self-evident that these animals are able to accommodate themselves to great variations of 
climate and surroundings ; and I myself have met with them, close to the sea, in the hot and 
sultry coastlands of Southeast Africa; on the high plateau of Mashonaland, where at an altitude 
of 6,coo feet above sea-level the winter nights are cold and frosty ; amongst the stony hills to the 
east of the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi ; and in the swamps of the Chobi. In the great reed- 
beds of the latter river a certain number of lions appeared to live constantly, preying on buffaloes 




PJuf h FrattlU jtUnarq 

A YOUNG LIONESS 
TAt sole of ike hind foot skows the soft pads on which the Cats noiselessly approach that prey 



[Fltrcmt 



and lechwe antelopes. I often heard them roaring at nights in these swamps, and I once saw 
two big male lions wading slowly across an open space between two beds of reeds in water nearly 
a foot in depth. 

Although there are great individual differences in lions as regards size, general colour of 
coat, and more particularly in the length, colour, and profuseness of the mane with which the 
males are adorned, yet as these differences occur in every part of Africa where lions are met 
with, and since constant varieties with one fixed type of mane Hving by themselves and not inter- 
breeding with other varieties do not exist anywhere, modern zoologists are, I think, now agreed 
that there is only one species of lion, since in any large series of wild lion skins, made in any 
particular district of Africa or Asia, every gradation will be found between the finest-maned 
specimens and those which are destitute of any mane at all. Several local races have, however, 
been recently described by German writers. 

In the hot and steamy coastlands of tropical Africa lions usually have short manes, and 
never, I believe, attain the long silky black manes sometimes met with on the high plateaux 
of the interior. However, there is, I believe, no part of Africa where all or even the majority 



38 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



of male lions cany heavy 
manes, the long hair of 
which does not as a rule 
cover more than the neck 
and chest, with a tag of 
varying length and thick- 
ness extending from the 
back of the neck to be- 
tween the shoulder-blades. 
Lions with very full black 
manes, covering the whole 
shoulders, are rare any- 
where, but more likely to 
be encountered on the 
high plateaux, where the 
winter nights are ex- 
tremely cold, than any- 
where else. In such cases, 
in addition to the tufts 
of hair always found on 
the elbows and in the 
armpits of lions with fair- 
sized 'manes, there will 
probably be large tufts 
of hair in each flank just where the thighs join the belly; but I have never yet seen the 
skin of a lion shot within the last thirty years with the whole belly covered with long, thick 
hair, as may constantly be observed in lions kept in captivity in menageries. There is, 
however, some evidence to show that, when lions existed on ihc high plains of the Cape 
Colony and the Orange River Colony, where the winter nights are much colder than in the 
countries farther north where lions may still be encountered, certain individuals of the species 
developed a growth of long hair all over the belly, as well as an extraordinary luxuriance of mane 
on the neck and shoulders. 




By ftrmisthn •/ Utrr Carl Ui^*Hhttk'\ iHamburg 

A HAPPY FAMILY 

Here is a group of animals and their keeper from Herr Uagenbeck's Thierpark, The animal in 
front is a cross buween a lion and a tigress ; he lives on quite friendly terms with his keeper^ and also 
with iionSf tigers, and leopards, as sun in the photograph 



From the foregoing remarks it will 
be seen that wild lions, having as a rule 
much less luxuriant manes than many 
examples of their kind to be seen in 
European menageries, are ordinarily not so 
majestic and dignified in appearance as 
many of their caged relatives. On the 
other hand, the wild lion is a much more 
alert and active animal than a menagerie 
specimen, and when in good condition is 
far better built and more powerful-looking, 
being free from all appearance of lankiness 
and weakness in the legs, and having strong, 
weli-formed hindquarters. The eyes of the 
menagerie lion, too, look brown and usually 
sleepy, whilst those of the wild animal are 
yellow, and extraordinarily luminous even 
after death. When wounded and standing 




By ftrmUiim •/ Htrr Carl Ha^anbtcii] [Hamkurg 

A CROSS BETWEEN LION AND TIGRESS 

TUs unique photograph shows a remarkable hybrid and its proud parents, 
Thi father (on the right) is a Ron, and the mother [on the left) a tigress. 
The offspring (in the centre) is a fine, large male, now four years ofdf h 
is bigger than an average-sived lion o*" tiger 




£ht$ bf Otumar AnichSit9i\ 



[BtrUm 



A HUNGRY LION 
Notta that tkt wtant^ as iu most wild UonSf is tftry seamy 

39 



40 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




B} frmht.tn 0/ Htrr Carl Hagtnkttli] [^Hamburg 

LIONESS AND TIGER 
TJu ttraightnui of the itoni s*s tail is here shown. It is not in the least like that of the tiger or 

of the cat 



at bay, with head held 
low between his shoul- 
ders, growling hoarsely, 
and with twitching tail, 
even if he is not near 
enough to be observed 
very closely, a lion looks 
a very savage and 
dangerous animal ; but 
should he be wounded 
in such a way as to admit 
of a near approach — 
perhaps by a shot that 
has paralyzed his hind- 
quarters — his flami ng 
eyes will seem to throw 
out sparks of living fire. 
Speaking generally, 
there is little or no 
danger in meeting a 
lion or lions in the day- 
time. Even in parts of 
the country where fire- 
arms are unknown, and 
where the natives seldom or never interfere with them, these animals seem to have an instinctive 
fear of man, and even when encountered at the carcase of an animal freshly killed, and at a time 
when they may be supposed to be hungry, they will almost invariably retreat before the unwelcome 
presence, sometimes slowly and sulkily, but in districts where much hunting with firearms has been 
going on at a very rapid pace. However, I have known of two cases of Europeans mounted on 
horseback having been attacked by lions in broad daylight, and Dr. Livingstone mentions a third. 
In one of the instances which came within my own knowledge, a lion sprang at a Boer hunter as he 
was riding slowly along, carrying an elephant-gun in his right hand and followed by a string of 
natives on foot. The lion attacked from the left side, and with its right paw seized my friend from 
behind by the right side of his face and neck, inflicting deep gashes with its sharp claws, one of 
which cut right through his cheek and tore out one of his teeth. My friend was pulled from his 
horse, but, clutching the loosely girthed saddle tightly with his knees, it twisted round under the 
horse's belly before he fell to the ground. Instead of following up its success, the lion, probably 
scared by the shouting of the Kaffirs, trotted away for a short distance, and then turned and stood 
looking at the dismounted hunter, who, never having lost his presence of mind, immediately shot it 
dead with his heavy old muzzle-loading elephant-gun. Besides these three instances of Europeans 
having been attacked in the daytime by lions, I have known of a certain number of natives having 
been killed in broad daylight. Such incidents are, however, by no means e very-day occurrences, 
and, speaking generally, it may be said that the risk of molestation by lions in Africa during day- 
light is very small. It is by night that lions roam abroad with stealthy step in search of prey ; 
and at such times they are often, when hungry, incredibly bold and daring. I have known them 
upon several occasions to enter a hunter's camp, and, regardless of fires, to seize oxen and horses 
and human beings. 

During the year following the first occupation of Mashonaland in 1890, a great deal of 
damage was done by lions, which could not resist the attractions of the settlers' live stock. For 
the first few months I kept as accurate an account as I could of the number of bosses- donkeys. 



THE CAT TRIBE 



4» 



oxen, sheep, goats, and pigs which were killed by lions, and it soon mounted up to over 20O 
head. During the same time several white men were also mauled by lions, and one unfortunate 
man named Teale was dragged from beneath the cart, where he was sleeping by the side of a 
native driver, and at once killed and eaten. Several of the horses were killed inside rough 
shelters serving as stables. In the following year (1891) over 100 pigs were killed in one night 
by a single lioness. These pigs were in a series of pens, separated one from another, but all 
under one low thatchec roof. The lioness forced her way in between two poles, and apparently 
was unable, after having satisfied her hunger, to find her way out again, and, becoming angry 
and frightened, wandered backwards and forwards through the pens, killing almost all the pigs, 
each one with a bite at the back of the head or neck. This lioness, which had only eaten portions 
of two young pigs, made her escape before daylight, but was killed with a set gun the next night 
by the owner of the pigs. 

When lions grow old, they are always liable to become man-eaters. Finding their strength 
failing them, and being no longer able to hunt and pull down large antelopes or zebras, they are 
driven by hunger to killing small animals, such as porcupines, and even tortoises, or they may 
visit a native village and catch a goat, or kill a child or woman going for water ; and finding a 
human being a very easy animal to catch and kill, an old lion which has once tasted human flesh 
will in all probability continue to be a man-eater until he is killed. On this subject, in his 
*' Missionary Travels," Dr. Livingstone says : " A man-eater is invariably an old lion ; and when 
he overcomes his fear of man so far as to come to villages for goats, the people remark, ' His 
teeth are worn ; he will soon kill men.' They at once acknowledge the necessity of instant 
action, and turn out to kill him." It is the promptness with which measures are taken by the 




W 




Phti9 by Otfmar jtnuhatsc] [Btrlin 

TIGRESS 

MVr# tJU grau seem here the normai AeigJkt of that iu ike Indian jnngles^ the upright Hnes vtould harwnmu with the strifetf amd render th^ 
6 dger aimeu iwmubU 



42 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fhtf ij L. MtdUnd, F.Z,S,. N»rth Finehlt^ 

TIGER CUB 

Note the great development of the l^i 
and paw 



greater part of the natives of Southern Africa to put an end to 
any lion which may take to eating men that prevents these 
animals as a rule from becoming the formidable pests which 
man-eating tigers appear to be in parts of India. But man- 
eating lions in Africa are not invariably old animals. One 
which killed thirty-seven human beings in 1887, on the Majili 
River, to the north-west of the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi, 
was, when at last he was killed, found to be an animal in the 
prime of life ; whilst the celebrated man-eaters of the Tsavo 
River, in East Africa, were also apparently strong, healthy 
animals. These two man-eating lions caused such consterna- 
tion amongst the Indian workmen on the Uganda Railway 
that the work of construction was considerably retarded, the 
helpless coolies refusing to remain any longer in a country 
where they were liable to be eaten on any night by a man- 
eating lion. Both these lions were at last shot by one of the 
engineers on the railway (Mr. J. H. Patterson), but not 
before they had killed and devoured twenty-eight Indian 
coolies and an unknown number of native Africans. 

THE TIGER 



Tigers are the ** type animal " of Asia. They are found nowhere else. Lions were inhab- 
itants, even in historic times, of Europe, and are still common on the Euphrates and in parts 
of Persia, just as they were when the Assyrian kings shot them with arrows from their hunting- 
chariots. They survived in Greece far later than the days when story says that Hercules slew 
the Nemean lion in the Peloponnesus, for the baggage-animals of Xerxes' army of invasion were 
attacked by lions near Mount Athos, But the tiger never comes, and never did come in historic 
times, nearer to Europe than 
the Caucasian side of the 
Caspian Sea. On the other 
hand, they range very far 
north. All our tiger-lore is 
Indian. There is scarcely a 
story of tigers to be found 
in English books of sport 
which deals with the animal 
north of the line of the 
Himalaya. These Chinese 
northern tigers and the 
Siberian tigers are far larger 
than those of India. They 
have long woolly coats, in 
order to resist the cold. 
Their skins are brought to 
market in hundreds every 
year to the great fur-sales. 
But the animals themselves 

we never see. The present n^.y, y,i.nun.^^s.ns,ud,i ^^^ 

writer was informed by a A ROYAL TIGER 

friend that in the Amur TMi is an M Bengal Tiger ^ whk the mooth, short coat grown in that hot climate 




THE CAT TRIBE 



43 




Pk»t$ by Prattlli AUnarq 

A TIGER BEFORE SLEEPING 
Tigers f when about to sleepy at in this position j when more drowsy , they lie down or roli over on their backs 



iFhrtnei 



Valley he shot three of these tigers in a day, putting them up in thick bush-scrub by the 
aid of dogs. 

The Royal Bengal Tiger, so called, and very properly called in the old books of natural 
history, is a different and far more savage beast It is almost invariably a ferocious savage, 
fierce by nature, never wishing to be otherwise than a destroyer — of beasts mainly, but often of 
men. Compared with the lion, it is far longer, but rather lighter, for the lion is more massive 
and compact. " A well-grown tigress," says Sir Samuel Baker, " may weigh on an average 240 
lbs. live weight. A very fine tiger may weigh 440 lbs., but if fat the same tiger would weigh 500 
lbs. There may be tigers which weigh 50 lbs. more than this ; but I speak according to my 
experience. I have found that a tiger of 9 feet 8 inches is about 2 inches above the average. 
The same skin may be stretched to measure 10 feet. A tiger in the Zoological Gardens is a loog, 
lithe creature with little flesh. Such a specimen affords a poor example of this grand animal in 
its native jungles, with muscles in their full, ponderous development from continual exertion in 
nightly travels over long distances, and in mortal struggles when wrestling with its prey. A well- 
fed tiger is by no means a slim figure. On the contrary, it is exceedingly bulky, broad in the 
shoulders, back, and loins, and with an extraordinary girth of limbs, especially in the forearms 
and wrists." 

This ponderous, active, and formidably armed creature is, as might be expected, able to hold 
its own wherever Europeans do not form part of the regular population. In India the peasants 
are quite helpless even against a cattle-killing tiger in a populous part of the country. In the 
large jungles, and on the islands at the mouths of the great rivers, the tigers have things all their 
own way. Things are no better in the Far East. A large peninsula near Singapore is said to 



44 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



have been almost abandoned by its cultivators lately, owing to the loss of life caused by the 
tigers. In the populous parts of India the tiger is far more stealthy than in the out-of-the-way 
districts. It only hunts by night ; and after eating a part of the animal killed, moves off to a 
distance, and does not return. Otherwise the regular habit is to return to the kill just at or after 
dusk, and finish the remainder. Its suspicions seem quite lulled to sleep after dark. Quite 
recently a sportsman sat up to watch for a tiger at a water-hole. It was in the height of the 
Indian hot season, when very little water was left. All the creatures of that particular neigh- 
bourhood were in the habit of coming to drink at one good pool still left in the rocky bed of the 
river. There the tigers came too. The first night they did not come until all the other creatures 
— hog, deer, peacocks, and monkeys — had been down to drink. They then came so softly over 
the sand that the gunner in waiting did not hear them pass. His first knowledge that they were 
there was due to the splashing they made as they entered the water. It was quite dark, and he 
felt not a little nervous, for the bush on which he was seated on a small platform was only some 
lO feet high. He heard the two tigers pass him, not by their footsteps, but by the dripping of 

the water as it ran off their 
bodies on to the sand. Next 
night they came again. This 
time, though it was dark, he 
shot one in a very ingenious 
manner. The two tigers 
walked into the water, and 
apparently lay down or sat 
down in it, with their heads 
out. They only moved occa- 
sionally, lapping the water, 
but did not greatly disturb 
the surface. On this was re- 
flected a bright star from the 
sky above. The sportsman 
put the sight of the rifle on 
the star, and kept it up to his 
shoulder. Something obliter- 
ated the star, and he instantly 
fired. The " something " was 
the tiger's head, which the 
bullet duly hit. 
The hill-tigers of India are, or were, much more given to hunting by day than the jungle- 
tigers. In the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India the late General Douglas Hamilton said that before 
night the tigers were already about hunting, and that in the shade of evening it was dangerous 
to ride on a pony — not because the tigers wished to kill the rider, but because they might mis- 
take the pony and its rider for a sambar deer. He was stalked like this more than once. Often, 
when stalking sambar deer and ibex by day, he saw the tigers doing the same, or after other 
prey. " My brother Richard," he writes, " was out after a tiger which the hillmen reported had 
killed a buffalo about an hour before. He saw the tiger on first getting to the ground, and the 
tiger had seen him. It was lying out in the open watching the buffalo, and shuffled into the 
wood, and would not come out again. Next morning, when we got to the ground, the tiger 
was moving from rock to rock, and had dragged the body into a nullah. . . . We were upon 
the point of starting home when we observed a number of vultures coming down to the carcase. 
The vultures began to collect in large numbers on the opposite hill. I soon counted fifty ; but 
they would not go near the buffalo. Then some crows, bolder than the rest, flew down, and 




Phtf fy Schtlastit Ph$f, C*.] lPartnii*t Grun 

A HALF-GROWN TIGER CUB 

Itgtrs **grow to tkdr kead^* like children. The head of a half -grown cub is as long, though 

not » hroad^.as that of the adult 




p kf FrMtMi jtUnmH] 



iFl*rtn€9 



TIGERS IN ITALY 
Tkut dgtri wtre photographed in Turin, Italy was the fir it European country to which thete animals were hroi^ht/rom the Baa 

45 



46 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



■■ 


HI 


ilS^H 






miHI^^^H^^^^^^^^H^^^I^^H 


^HH 



made a great row over their meal. All of 

a sudden they all flew up, and I made certain 

it was the tiger. Then my brother fired, and 

there he was, shot right through the brain, 

lying just above the buffalo. He had been 

brought down by the noise the crows were 

making. Upon driving the sholas (small 

woods on these hills), tigers were often put 

out. Sometimes they availed themselves of 

the drive to secure food for themselves. A 

wood was being driven, when a tremendous 

grunting was heard, and out rushed an old 

boar, bristling and savage. B was about 

to raise his rifle, when a growl like thunder 

stopped him, and a great tiger with one spring 

cleared the nullah, and alighted on the back 

of the old boar. Such a battle then took 

place that, what with the growls of the tiger 

and the squeals of the boar, one might believe 

oneself in another world. I thought of nothing 

but of how to kill one or the other, or both ; 

so, as they were rolling down over and over, 

about fifty yards from me on the open hill- 
side, I let fly both barrels. For a second or 

two the noise went on ; then the tiger jumped 

off, and the boar struggled into the nullah 

close by. The tiger pulled up, and coolly 

stared at us without moving; but his courage seemed to fail him, and he sprang into the 

nullah and disappeared." 

In most parts of India tigers are now scarce and shy, except in the preserves of the great 

/ajas, and the dominions of some mighty and pious Hindu potentates, such as the Maharaja of 

Jeypur, who, being supposed to be descended from a Hindu god, allows no wild animals to be 

killed. There the deer and pig are so numerous that tigers are welcome to keep them 

down. But the Sunderbunds, unwhole- 
some islands at the Ganges mouth, still 
swarm with them. So does the Malay 
Peninsula. 

Mr. J. D. Cobbold shot a tiger in 
Central Asia in a swamp so deep in snow 
and so deadly cold that he dared not 
stay for fear of being frozen to death. 
Tigers sometimes wander as far west as the 
Caucasus near the Caspian. The farther 
north, the larger your tiger, is the rule. 
The biggest ever seen in Europe was 
a Siberian tiger owned by Herr Carl 
Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, and the largest 
known skin and skull is from the Far 
North. The skin is 1 3 feet 6 inches from 
the nose to the end of the tail. The 



Hj P$rmiitUn •/ U«rr Cmrl Hmgtnbti.i] 

A LEOPARD-PUMA HYBRID 
TAis is a photograph from life of a 'very rare hybrid. The amtmaPt 
father loas a puma, its mother a leopard. It is notv dead, and may be 
seen stuffed in Mr. Rothschild's Museum at Tring 




LEOPARDS 



[NTth Fhukltf 



A pair 9f leopards^ one spotted^ the other black. Black leopards tamy be the 
efftpring 9ftt$ or£netry s^ed form $ they are generally touch more smvage 



THE CAT TRIBE 



47 



largest Indian tiger-skin, from one killed by the Maharaja of Cuch Behar, measures ii 
feet 7 inches. 

LEOPARDS 

Less in size, but even more ferocious, the Leopard has a worse character than the tiger. 
Living mainly in trees, and very nocturnal, this fierce and dangerous beast is less often seen than 
far rarer animals. It is widely spread over the world, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Atlas 
Mountains, and from Southern China to the Black Sea, where it is sometimes met with in the 
Caucasus. There seems to be no legend of its presence in Greece, Italy, or Spain ; but it was 
quite common in Asia Minor ; and Cicero, when governor of Cilicia, was plagued by an aristo- 
cratic young friend in Rome to send him leopards to exhibit in ^ifete he was giving. 

Any one who has frequented the Zoo for any time must have noticed the difference in size 
and colour between leopards from different parts of the world. On some the ground-colour is 
almost white, in others a clear nut-brown. Others are jet-black. Wherever they live, they are 
cattle thieves, sheep thieves, and dog thieves. Though not formidable in appearance, they are 
immensely strong. Sometimes one will turn man-eater. Both in India and lately in Africa cases 
have been known where they have " set up " in this line as deliberately as any tiger. They have 
four or five young at a birth, which may often be kept tame for some time and are amusing pets. 
But the following plain story shows the danger of such experiments. At Hongkong an English 
merchant had a tame leopard, which was brought into the room by a coolie for the guests to see 
at a dinner party. Excited by the smell of food, it refused to go out when one of the ladies^ 
who did not like its looks, wished for it to be removed. The man took hold of its collar and 
began to haul it out. It seized him by the neck, bit it through, and in a minute the coolie was 
dying, covered with blood, on the dining-room floor ! 

The Chinese leopard ranges as far north as the Siberian tiger, and, like the latter, seems 
to grow larger the farther north it is found. The colour of these northern leopards is very 



i 




^ 


i 




3^' 


1 






«i.-i 


mS 


^^v^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^r 



/JWrt hj C lMd\ 



ifnAM$9 ii.M. 



. A YOUNG LEOPARD 
TAt Uop4trd cuh is far w$ore cai^kt in apptaranc* tkau tAtycung tSgtr or BvM 



48 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 

pale, the spots large, and the fur very long. At the March fur-sales of the present year, held at 
the stores of Sir Charles Lampson, there were Siberian leopard-skins as large as those of a small 
tiger. 

Leopards are essentially tree-living and nocturnal animals. Sleeping in trees or caves by 
day, they are seldom disturbed. They do an incredible amount of mischief among cattle, calves, 
sheep, and dogs, being especially fond of killing and eating the latter. They seize their prey by 
the throat, and cling with their claws until they succeed in breaking the spine or in strangling 
the victim. The largest leopards are "popularly called Panthers. In India they sometimes 
become man-eaters, and are always very dangerous. They have a habit of feeding on putrid 
flesh ; this makes wounds inflicted by their teeth or claws liable to blood-poisoning. Nothing in 
the way of prey comes amiss to them, from; a cow in the pasture to a fowl up at roost. " In 
€very country," says Sir Samuel Baker, " the natives are unanimous in saying that the leopard is 
more dangerous than the lion or tiger. 
Wherever I have been in Africa, the 
natives have declared that they had no 
fear of a lion, provided they were not 
hunting, for it would not attack unpro- 
voked , but that a leopard was never to 
be trusted. I remember when a native 
boy, accompanied by his grown-up 
brother, w^as busily employed with 
others in finiig the reeds on the op- 
posite bank of a small stream. Being 




SNOW-LEOPARD, OR OUNCE 

TAis is a striking portrait of a -very beautiful animal. Note the long bushy tail, thick ccatf and Urge eyes 

thirsty and hot, the boy stooped down to drink, when he was immediately seized by a leopard. 
His brother, with admirable aim, hurled his spear at the leopard while the boy was in his jaws. 
The point separated the vertebrae of the neck, and the leopard fell stone-dead. The boy was 
carried to my hut, but there was no chance of recovery. The fangs had torn open the chest 
and injured the lungs. These were exposed to view through the cavity of the ribs. He died 
the same night." 

In the great mountain-ranges of Central Asia the beautiful Snow-leopard is found. It is a 
large creature, with thick, woolly coat, and a long tail like a fur boa. The colour is white, 
clouded with beautiful gray, like that of an Angora cat. The edges of the cloudings and spots 
are marked with black or darker gray. The eyes are very large, bluish gray or smoke-coloured. 
It lives on the wild sheep, ibex, and other mountain animals. In captivity it is far the tamest 
and gentlest of the large carnivora, not excepting the puma. Unlike the latter, it is a sleepy, 
quiet animal, like a domestic cat. The specimen shown here belonged to a lady in India, who 
kept it for some time as a pet. It was then brought to the Zoological Gardens, where it was 
more amiable and friendly than most cats. The writer has entered its cage with the keeper, 
stroked it, and patted its head, without in the least ruffling its good-temper. The heat of the 
iion-house did not suit it, and it died of consumption. 




Fhtf h Otttmmr jtnschiitx} IBtrltm 

CHEETA 
ji chteta is a hunttr^-ltopard ; this one is a particularly large specimen, Tke ckeetas are dealt tuitk later on in tkis cJkapter 

7 49 



so 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Thtf ly G. AT. ffnisM A* C*., Ltd,"] 



lAbtrdatn 



JAGUAR 

The largest and strongeu of the Cats of America. A South American speettt 

TH£ AMERICAN CATS 

The cats, great and small, of the New World resemble those of the Old, though not quite 
so closely as the caribou, wapiti deer, and moose of the northern forests resemble the reindeer^ 
red deer, and elk of Europe. They are like, but with a difference. The Jaguar and the Ocelot 
are respectively larger and far more beautiful than their counterparts, the leopard and serval 
cats. But the Puma, the one medium-sized feline animal which is unspotted, is something 
unique. The jaguar and puma are found very far south in South America; and though the 
jaguar is really a forest animal, it seems to have wandered out on to the Pampas of Argen- 
tina, perhaps attracted by the immense numbers of cattle, sheep, and horses on these plains. 




Ph»f kj SeMaitU Phf, Cc., Parstn*i GrttH 

PUMA 
Afmma in eh* act of lying down, like a dgmestic cat 



The Jaguar 

The Jaguar is as savage as it is formidable^ 
but does not often attack men. Its headquarters 
are the immense - forests running from Central 
America to Southern Brazil ; and as all great forests 
are little inhabited, the jaguar is seldom encoun- 
tered by white men. By the banks of the great 
rivers it is semi-aquatic; it swims and climbs with 
equal ease, and will attack animals on board boats 
anchored in the rivers. As there are few animals 
of great size in these forests, its great strength is 
not often seen exercised, as is that of the lion ; but 
it is the personification of concentrated force, and 
its appearance is well worth studying from that 
point of view. The spots are larger and squarer than 
in the leopard, the head ponderous, the forearms 
and feet one mass of muscle, knotted under the 
velvet skin. On the Amazons it draws its food 
alike from the highest tree-tops and the river-bed; 
in the former it catches ^monkeys in the branches^ 
fish in the shallows of the rivers, and scoops out 
turtles' eggs from the sand banks. Humboldt, who 
visited these regions when the white population 



THE CAT TRIBE 



51 



was scarce, declared that 4,CXX) jaguars were killed annually, and 2,(XX) skins exported from 
Buenos Ayres alone. It was clearly common on the Pampas in his day, and made as great 
havoc among the cattle and horses as it does to-day. 

The Puma 

The Puma is a far more interesting creature. It is found from the mountains in Montana, 
next the Canadian boundary, to the south of Patagonia. Many stories of its ferocity may 
have some foundation ; but the writer believes there is no recorded instance of the northern 
puma attacking man unprovoked, though in the few places where it now survives it kills cattle- 
calves and colts. It is relentlessly hunted with dogs, treed, and shot. As to the puma of the 




Phttt h Otttmmr ^fuchutx] 



iB,rlin 



FEMALE PUMA 
This showi a puma alert and vigilant, with ears pricked forward 



southern plains and central forests, the natives, whether Indians or Gauchos, agree with the 
belief, steadily handed down from the days of the first Spanish conquest, that the puma is the 
one wild cat which is naturally friendly to man. The old Spaniards called it amigo del Cristiano 
(the Christian's friend); and Mr. Hudson, in "The Naturalist in La Plata," gives much evidence 
of this most curious and interesting tendency : " It is notorious that where the puma is the only 
large beast of prey it is perfectly safe for a small child to go out and sleep on the plain. . . . 
The puma is always at heart a kitten, taking unmeasured delight in its frolics ; and when, 
as often happens, one lives alone in the desert, it will amuse itself for hours fighting mock bat- 
tles or playing hide-and-seek with imaginary companions, or lying in wait and putting all its 
wonderful strategy in practice to capture a passing butterfly." From Azara downwards these 
Stories have been told too often not to be largely true; and in old natural histories, whose 



52 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




writers believed the puma was 
a terrible man-eater, they also 
appear as " wonderful escapes." 
One tells how a man put his 
poncho, or cloak, over his back 
when crawling up to get a shot 
at some duck, and felt something 
heavy on the end of it. He 
crept from under it, and there 
was a puma sitting on it, which 
did not offer to hurt him. 

As space forbius further 
quotation from Mr. Hudson's 
experiences, which should be 
read, the writer will only add one 
anecdote which was told him by 
Mr. Everard im Thurn, C. B., 
formerly an official in British 
Guiana. He was going up one 
of the big rivers in his steam- 
launch, and gave a passage to an 
elderly and respectable Cornish 
miner, who wanted to go up to 
a gold-mine. The visitor had his 
meals on the boat, but at night 
went ashore with the men and 
slung his hammock between two 
trees, leaving the cabin to his 
host. One morning two of the Indian crew brought the miner's hammock on board with a 
good deal of laughing and talking. Their master asked what the joke was, whereupon, pointing 
to the trees whence they had unslung the hammock, one said, " Tiger sleep with old man last 
night." They were quite in earnest, and pointed out a hollow and marks on the leaves, which 
showed that a puma had been lying just under the mans hammock. When asked if he had 
noticed anything in the night, he said, " Only the frogs croaking wakened me up." The croak- 
ing of the frogs was probably the hoarse purring of the friendly puma enjoying his proximity 
to a sleeping man. Mr. Hudson quotes a case in which four pumas played round and leapt over 
a person camping out on the Pampas. He watched them for some time, and then went to sleep ! 
Many of those brought to this country come with their tempers ruined by ill-treatment and 
hardship; but a large proportion are as tame as cats. Captain Marshall had one at Marlow 
which used to follow him on a chain and watch the boats full of pleasure-seekers at the lock. 

The puma is always a beautiful creature, — the fur cinnamon-coloured, tinged with gold ; the 
belly and chest white ; the tail long, full, and round. Though friendly to man, it is a desperate 
cattle-killer, and particularly fond of horse-flesh, so much so that it has been suggested that the 
indigenous wild horses of America were destroyed by the puma. 

There are two other cats of the Pampas — the Grass-cat, not unlike our wild cat in appear- 
ance and habits, and the Wood-cat, or Geoffroy's Cat. It is a tabby, and a most elegant 
creature, of which there is a specimen, at the time of writing, in the Zoo. 

The Ocelot 
In the forest region is also found the most beautiful of the medium-sized cats. This is the 



FhtU hy Otfmar AnnhutTc"] 

OCELOT 

Note the elongated spotSj and their arrangement in chains 



[B4rUn 




by Oti^ 



OCELOT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA. 



This is one of the most beautifully marked of all Mammals. The ornamental colouring 
is seldom quite the same in any two specimens. 



THE CAT TRIBE 



S3 



Ocelot, which corresponds somewhat to the servals, but is not the least like a lynx, as the 
servals are. It is entirely a tree-cat, and lives on birds and monkeys. The following detailed 
description of its coloration appeared in " Life at the Zoo " : — 

" Its coat, with the exception perhaps of that of the clouded leopard of Sumatra, marks 
the highest development of ornament among four-footed animals. The Argus pheasant alone 
seems to offer a parallel to the beauties of the ocelot's, fur, especially in the development of the 
wonderful ocelli, which, though never reaching in ther beast the perfect cup-and-ball ornament 
seen on the wings of the bird, can be traced in all the early stages of spots and wavy lines, 
so far as the irregular shell-shaped rim and dot on the feet, sides, and back, just as in the 
subsidiary ornament of the Argus pheasant's feathers. Most of the ground-tint of the fur is 




OCELOT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA 

Tkt ocelot can be tawud and almost domesticated if taken young, and is occasionally kept as a pet iy tie forest Indiant 



iBtrttn 



smoky-pearl colour, on which the spots develop from mere dots on the legs and speckles on 
the feet and toes to large egg-shaped ocelli on the flanks. There are also two beautiful 
pearl-coloured spots on the back of each ear, like those which form the common ornaments 
of the wings of many moths." 

The nose is pink ; the eye large, convex, and translucent. 

A tame ocelot described by Wilson, the American naturalist, was most playful and affec- 
tionate, but when fed with flesh was less tractable. It jumped on to the back of a horse in the 
stable, and tried to curl up on its hindquarters. The horse threw the ocelot off and kicked it, 
curing it of any disposition to ride. On seeing a horse, the ocelot always ran off to its kennel 
afterwards. When sent to England, it caught hold of and threw down a child of four years 
old, whom it rolled about with its paws without hurting it 



54 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



OTHER WILD CATS 

A HANDSOME Icopard-like animal is 
the Clouded Leopard. It is the size of 
a small common leopard, but far gentler 
in disposition. Its fur is not spotted, but 
marked with clouded patches, outlined in 
gray and olive-brown. Its skin is among 
the most beautiful of the Cats. It is 
found in the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, 
Sumatra, Formosa, and along the foot 
of the Himalaya from Nepal to Assam. 
Writing of two which he kept, Sir 
Stamford Raffles said : " No kitten could 
be more good-tempered. They were 
always courting intercourse with persons 
passing by, and in the expression of 
their countenance showed the greatest 
delight when noticed, throwing them- 
selves on their backs, and delighting in 





'«TO~r''^*^ 



-. f ' ^*y*' 



Ph»f bj A. S. Rudland A* Stnt 

FISHING-CAT 

TUs wildcat hauntt the sides of rivers, and is an expert at catching Jisk 



gray and spotted, and those which are gray 
and striped, or " whole-coloured." There 
is no wholly gray wild cat, but several 
sandy-coloured species. All live on birds 
and small mammals, and probably most 
share the tame cat's liking for fish. Among 
the gray-and-spotted cats are the Mottled 
Cat of the Eastern Himalaya and Straits 
Settlements and islands; the Tibetan 
Tiger-cat; the Fishing-cat of India and 
Ceylon, which is large enough to kill 
lambs, but lives much on fish and large 
marsh-snails; Geoffrov's Cat, an Ameri- 
can species ; the Leopard-cat of Java and 
Japan, which seems to have gray fur in 



PA«>« fy A. S, RudUnd A* S»ni 

CLOUDED leopard 

ft shares with the ocelot the first place among the highly ornamented cats 



being tickled and rubbed. On board ship 
there was a small dog, which used to play 
around the cage with the animal. It was 
amusing to watch the tenderness and play- 
fulness with which the latter came in con* 
tact with its smaller-sized companion." 
Both specimens were procured from the 
banks of the Bencoolin River, in Sumatra. 
They are generally found near villages, and 
are not dreaded by the natives, except in 
so far that they destroy their poultry. 

The number of smaller leopard-cats 
and tiger-cats is very great. They fall, 
roughly, into three groups: those which 
are yellow and spotted, those which are 




Phttt bj A, S. Rudland V Sms 

MARBLED CAT 

jimother beautifully marked cat. The tail is spotted and very Im^^ tk$ 
marbled imarldngs being on the body only 




I -^ 




Phttt ^ Ott$m0r jtnsMtsc} 

GOLDEN CAT 
Sumatra it tkt howu of thii nwj heautifutty coloured cat. Tkt genera! tint h tkat ofgold^u 

55 



iBtrHn 
e. Sometimei the beily is pare wJUm 



S6 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




rtfU fy A, S. Rudland ^ S»n$ 

PAMPAS-CAT 

Note tJki liktneu of tkt thick tail and barred I^t to the English wild est, 

" Inexpressibly savage in disposition ** (^Hudson) 



Japan and a fulvuus ieopard-like skin in 
India, where it is also called the Tiger-cat ; 
and the smallest of all wild cats, the little 
Rusty-spotted Cat of India. This has 
rusty spots on a gray ground. " I had a 
kitten brought to me," says Dr. Jerdon 
of the species, " when very young. It 
became quite tame, and was the delight 
and admiration of all who saw it. When 
it was about eight months old, I introduced 
the fawn of a gazelle into the room where 
it was. The little creature flew at it the 
moment it saw it, seized it by the nape 
of the neck, and was with difficulty taken 
off." Of the whole-coloured wild cats — which 
include the Bay Cat, the American Pampas- 
cat, Pallas' Cat of Tibet and India — the 



most beautiful is the Golden Cat of Sumatra, 
one of which is now in the Zoological Gar- 
dens. It has a coat the colour of gold-stone. 
The nose is pink, the eyes large and topaz- 
coloured, the cheeks striped with white, and 
the underparts and lower part of the tail 
pure white. 

Four kinas of wild cats are known in 
South Africa, of which the largest is the. 
Serval, a short-tailed, spotted animal, with 
rather more woolly fur than the leopard's. 
The length is about 4 feet 2 inches, of which 
the tail is only 12 inches. It is found from 
Algeria to the Cape ; but its favourite haunts, 
like those of all the wild cats of hot countries, 
are in the reeds by rivers. It kills hares. 




Ptff fy A, S, RudUnd V S»n$ 

EYRA GAT 

The lowest and longest of the cats, shaped more like a civet | // is readilf 
tamed, and makes a charming pet 




FH$t$ fy A, S, Rudland ^ tftni 

BAY CAT 



rats, birds, and small mammals generally. 

The Black-footed Wild Cat is another 
African species. It is a beautiful spottcd- 
and-lined tabby, the size of a small domestic 
cat, and as likely as any other to be the 
origin of our tabby variety, if tame cats 
came to Europe from Africa. At present 
it is only found south in the Kalahari Desert 
and Bechuanaland. 

The Kaffir Cat is the common wild 
cat of the Cape Colony, and a very in- 
teresting animal. It is a whole-coloured 
tawny, upstanding animal, with all the 
indifference to man and generally inde* 
pendent character of the domestic tom-cat. 



THE CAT TRIBE 



57 




Ph»f fy A. S. Kudland &» S«n 

KAFFIR 



The common %ui/d cat of South Africa, 
domestic cats 



CAT 

// vjiil interbreed with 



It is, however, much stronger than the tame 
cats, with which it interbreeds freely. In the 
Colony it is often difficult to keep male tame 
cats, for the wild Kaffir cats come down and 
fight them in the breeding-season. The 
Egyptian cat is really the same animal, slightly 
modified by climate. A very distinct species 
is the JuNGLE-CAT, ranging from India, 
^ through Baluchistan, Syria, and East Africa, 
and called in Hindustani the Chaus. The 
European striped wild cat extends to the 
Himalaya, where the range of the lion- 
coloured, yellow-eyed chaus begins. The 
chaus has a few black bars inside the legs, 
which vary in different regions. The Indian 
chaus has only one distinctly marked ; the Kaffir cat has four or five. The Egyptian Fettered 
Cat has been said to be the origin of the domestic and sacred cats of Egypt. A male chaus is 
most formidable when " cornered." General Hamilton chased one, which had prowled into the 
cantonments on the lookout for fowls, into a fence. " After a long time I spied the cat squatting 
in a hedge," he writes, " and called for the dogs. When they came, I knelt down and began 
clapping my hands and cheering them on. The cat suddenly made a clean spring at my face* 
I had just time to catch it as one would a cricket-ball, and, giving its ribs a strong squeeze, threw 
It to the dogs ; but not before it had made its teeth meet in my arm just above the wrist. For some 
weeks I had to carry my arm in a sling, and I shall carry the marks of the bite to my grave." 

The chaus, as will be seen from the above, wanders boldly down into the outskirts of large 
towns, cantonments, and bungalows, on the lookout for chickens and pigeons. Its favourite plan 
IS to lie up at dawn in some piece of thick cover near to where the poultry wander out to scratch, 
feed, and bask. It then pounces on the nearest unhappy hen and rushes off with it into cover. 
An acquaintance of the writer once had a number of fine Indian game fowl, of which he was not 
a little proud. He noticed that one was missing every morning for three days, and, not being 
able to discover the robber, shut them up in a hen-house. Next morning he heard a great com- 
motion outside, and one of his bearers came running in to say that a leopard was in the hen- 
house. As this was only built of ' \ 



bamboo or some such light material, it 
did not seem probable that a leopard 
would stay there. Getting his rifle, he 
went out into the compound, and cau- 
tiously approached the hen-house, in 
which the fowls were still making loud 
protests and cries of alarm. The door 
was shut ; but some creature — certainly 
not a leopard — might have squeezed in 
through the small entrance used by the 
hens. He opened the door, and saw at 
the back of the hen-house a chaus 
sitting, with all its fur on end, looking 
almost as large as a small leopard. On 
the floor was one dead fowl. The 
impudent jungle-cat rushed for the door, 
but had the coolness to seize the hen 
8 




Ph$t$ bj A. S, Rudland ^ S»nt 

AFRICAN CHAUS, OR JUNGLE-CAT 

The chaus is the JntSan and African equi'valent of our wild cat. It U 
equally strong and savage 



S8 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



as it passed, and with this in its mouth rushed past the owner of the hens, his servants and 
retainers, and reached a piece of thick scrub near with its prize. 

As the chaus is common both in India and Africa, a comparison of its habits in both conti- 
nents is somewhat interesting. Jerdon, the Indian naturalist, writes : " It is the common wild 
cat from the Himalaya to Cape Comorin, and from the level of the sea to 7,000 or 8,000 feet 
elevation. It frequents alike the jungles and the open country, and is very partial to long reeds, 
and grass, sugarcane-fields, and corn-fields. It does much damage to all game, especially to 
hares and partridges. Quite recently I shot a pea-fowl at the edge of a sugarcane-field. One 
of these cats sprang out, seized the pea-fowl, and after a short struggle — for the bird was not 
quite dead — carried it off before my astonished eyes, and, in spite of my running up, made 
his escape with his booty. It must have been stalking these very birds, so closely did its spring 
follow my shot. It is said to breed twice a year, and to have three or four young at a birth. I 
have very often had the young brought to me, but always failed in rearing them ; and they 
always showed a savage and untamable disposition. I have seen numbers of cats about villages 
in various parts of the country that must have been hybrids between this cat and the tame ones." 
The late Sir Oliver St. John was more fortunate with his jungle-cat kittens. He obtained 
three in Persia. These he reared till they were three months old, by which time they became 
so tame that they would climb on to his knees at breakfast-time, and behave like ordinary kit- 
tens. One was killed by a greyhound, and another by a scorpion — a curious fate for a kitten to 
meet. The survivor then became morose and ill-tempered, but grew to be a large and strong 
animal. ** Two English bull-terriers of mine, which would make short work of the largest domes- 
tic cat, could do nothing against my wild cat," says the same writer. " In their almost daily 
battles the dogs always got the worst of it." 

In Africa the chaus haunts the thick cover bordering the rivers. There it catches not only 
water-fowl, but also fish. According to Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington, " its spoor may con- 
stantly be seen imprinted on the mud surrounding such pools in the periodical watercourses as 
are constantly being dried up, and in which fish may probably be imprisoned without chance of 
escape." The chaus has for neighbour in Africa the beautiful Serval, a larger wild cat. This 
species is reddish in colour, spotted on the body, and striped on the legs. The ears are long, but 
not tufted, like those of the lynx. The serval is more common in North and Central Africa than 
in the South. But it is also found south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Messrs. Nicolls and 
Eglington say of it : " Northward through South Central Africa it is fairly common. It fre- 
quents the thick bush in the vicinity of rivers. The karosses, or mantles, made from its skins 

are only worn by the chiefs and very 
high dignitaries amongst the native 
tribes, and are in consequence eagerly 
sought after, on which account the 
species luns a risk of rapid extermi- 
nation. Its usual prey consists of 
the young of the smaller antelopes, 
francolins, and wild guinea-fowls, to 
the latter of which it is a most 
destructive enemy in the breeding- 
season. When obtained young, the 
serval can be tamed with little trouble ; 
but it is difficult to rear, and always 
shows a singular and almost unac- 
countable aversion to black men. Its 
otherwise even temper is always 
aroused at the sight of a native. 




Thtf fy L. Mtdland^ F,Z,S.'] iN»rth Finekltj 

SERVAL 
TUs h a spotted cat^ with long ears, hut no tufts on tktm^ as in the true Ijnxts 





.^-^ vv' ' 



■•:^ 



Fktf tj Otfrnmr AniOmtvb\ 

TU ttrval is a Uni 



MALE SERVAL 
tkt leopards and Hger-cats, fuite large etieugk to kiff the ycmng of the smaller antelopa 

59 



\_B4rlt» 



6o 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



^1 When in anger, it is by no means a despicable 
antagonist, and very few dogs would like to 
engage in a combat with one single-handed." 

The Common Wild Cat 

The Wild Cat was once fairly common 
all over England. A curious story, obviously 
exaggerated, shows that traditions of its 
ferocity were common at a very early date. 
The tale is told of the church of Barn- 
borough, in Yorkshire, between Donc^ter and 
Barnsley. It is said that a man and a wild 
cat met in a wood near and began to fight ; 
that the cat drove the man out of the wood 
as far as the church, where he took refuge 
in the porch ; and that both the man and 
cat were so injured that they died. Accord- 
ing to Dr. Pearce, the event was formerly 
commemorated by a rude painting in the 
church. 

Mr. Charles St. John had an experience 
with a Scotch wild cat very like that which 
General Douglas Hamilton tells of the jungle- 
cat. He heard many stories of their attack- 
ing and wounding men when trapped or 
when their escape was cut off, and before 
long found out that these were true. " I 
was fishing in a river in Sutherland," he 

L^^^^v^ wrote, '' and in passing from one pool to 

^^r^ ^^^^^^^Ki ^i^o^her had to climb over some rocky ground. 

^H J^^^^^^^^H ^^ doing so, I sank almost up to my knees in 
^H ^^^^^^^^^H some rotten heather and moss, almost upon 
^H ^^^^^^^^^^M a wild cat which was concealed under I 

^H ^^^^^^^^^^H was quite as much startled as the cat itself 
^B ^^^^^^^^B^B could be, when I saw the wild-looking beast 

rush so unexpectedly from between my feet, 
with every hair on her body on end, mailing 
her look twice as large as she really was. I 
had three small Skye terriers with me, which immediately gave chase, and pursued her 
till she took refuge in a corner of the rocks, where, perched in a kind of recess out of reach 
of her enemies, she stood with her hair bristled out, spitting and growling like a common 
cat. Having no weapon with me, I laid down my rod, cut a good-sized stick, and pro- 
ceeded to dislodge her. As soon as I was within six or seven feet of the place, she sprang 
straight at my face over the dogs' heads. Had I not struck her in mid-air as she leaped at me, I 
should probably have received a severe wound. As it was, she fell with her back half broken 
among the dogs, who with my assistance dispatched her. I never saw an animal fight so desper- 
ately, or one which was so diflficult to kill. If a tame cat has nine lives, a wild cat must have 
a dozen. Sometimes one of these animals will take up its residence at no great distance from a 
house, and, entering the hen-roosts and outbuildings, will carry off fowls in the most audacious 
manner, or even lambs. Like other vermin, the wild cat haunts the shores of lakes and rivers^ 




Phtf bf OnuMr JnichutK] 

SERVAL CLIMBING 

Note tfu active, cat-like method of climbing 



iBtrlU 



THE CAT TRIBE 



6i 



and it is therefore easy to know where to set a trap for them. Having caught and killed one of 
the colony, the rest of them are sure to be taken if the body of their slain relative is left in the 
same place not far from their usual hunting-ground and surrounded with traps, as every wild cat 
passing that way will to a certainty come to it." 

The wild cat ranges from the far north of Scotland, across Europe and Northern Asia, to 
the northern slopes of the Himalaya. It has always been known as one of the fiercest and wild- 
est of the cats, large or small. The continual ill-temper of these creatures is remarkable. In 
the experience of the keepers of menageries there is no other so intractably savage. One pre- 
sented to the Zoological Gardens by Lord Lilford some eight years ago still snarls and spits at 
any one who comes near it, even the keeper. 

The food of the wild cat is grouse, mountain-hares, rabbits, small birds, and probably fish 
caught in the shallow waters when chance offers. It is wholly nocturnal ; consequently no one 
ever sees it hunting for prey. Though it has long been confined to the north and northwest of 
Scotland, it is by no means on the verge of extinction. The deer-forests are saving it to some 
extent, as they did the golden eagle. Grouse and hares are rather in the way when deer are 
being stalked ; consequently the wild cat and the eagle are not trapped or shot. The limits of 
its present fastnesses were recently fixed by careful Scotch naturalists at the line of the Caledo- 
nian Canal. Mr. Harvie Brown, in 1880, said that it only survived in Scotland north of a line 
running from Oban to the junction of the three counties of Perth, Forfar, and Aberdeen, and 
thence through Banffshire to Inverness. But the conclusion of a writer in the Edinburgh 
Review of July, 1898, in a very interesting article on the survival of British mammals, has been 
happily contradicted. He believed that it only survived in the deer-forests of Inverness and 
Sutherlandshire. The wild cats shown in the illustrations of these pages were caught a year 
later as far south as Argyllshire. The father and two kittens were all secured, practically un- 
hurt, and purchased by Mr. Percy Leigh Pemberton for his collection of British mammals at 
Ashford, in Kent. This gentleman has had great success in preserving his wild cats. They, as 
well as others — martens, polecats, and other small carnivora — are fed on fresh wild rabbits killed 
in a warren near ; consequently they are in splendid condition. The old " tom " wild cat, 
snarling with characteristic ill-humour, was well supported by the wild and savage little kittens, 
which exhibited all the family temper. Shortly before the capture of these wild cats another 




EUROPEAN WILD CAT 
TAt Brittik reprtsemtative oftAis tpedu is rapidly Aecmung extinct, Ike ^ptcimen wAose portrait is given Mere was caught in Jirgylhkif 



62 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THH WORLD 




By ftrmlsiltm ff Ftrty Li^ Ftntharttm^ E$q, 

SCOTCH WILD CATS 

The$t wildcats, the property of Mr, P. Lagh Pemberton, though regularly fed and well treated, show their natural bad-temper in their faces 

family were trapped in Aberdeenshire and brought to the Zoological Gardens. Four kittens, 
beautiful little savages, with bright green eyes, and uninjured, were safely taken to Regent's 
Park. But the quarters given them were very small and cold, and they all died. Two other 
full-grown wild cats brought there a few years earlier were so dreadfully injured by the abomi- 
nable steel traps in which they were caught that they both died of blood-poisoning. 

The real wild cats differ in their markings on the body, some being more clearly striped, 
while others are only brindled. But they are all alike in the squareness and thickness of head 
and body, and in the short tail, ringed with black, and growing larger at the tip, which ends off 
like a shaving-brush. 

It may well be asked. Which of the many species of wild cats mentioned above is the an- 
cestor of our domestic cats ? Probably different species in different countries. The African 
Kaffir cat, the Indian leopard-cat, the rusty-spotted cat of India, and the European wild cat all 
breed with tame cats. It is therefore probable that the spotted, striped, and brindled varieties of 
tame cats are descended from wild species which had those markings. The so-called red tame 
cats are doubtless descended from the tiger-coloured wild cats. But it is a curious fact that, 
though the spotted gray-tabby wild varieties are the least common, that colour is most frequent 
in the tame species. 

THE LYNXES 

In the Lynxes we seem to have a less specially cat-like form. They are short-ta^ed, high 
in the leg, and broad-faced. Less active than the leopards and tiger-cats, and able to live either 
in very hot or very cold countries, they are found from the Persian deserts to the far north of 
Siberia and Canada. 

The Caracal is a southern, hot-country lynx. It has a longer tail than the others, but the 
same tufted ears. It seems a link between the lynxes and the jungle-cats. It is found in India, 
Palestine, Persia, and Mesopotamia. In India it was trained, like the cheeta, to catch birds. 



THE CAT TRIBE 



63 



gazelles, and hares. The Common Lynx is probably the same animal, whether found in Norway, 
Russia, the Carpathians, Turkestan, China, or Tibet. The Canadian Lynx is also very probably 
the same, with local differences of colour. The Northern Lynx is the largest feline animal left 
in Europe, and kills sheep and goats equally with hares and squirrels. The beautiful fur, of pale 
cinnamon and light gray, is much admired. In some southern districts of America we have the 
Red Lynx, or so-called " wild cat," which is distinct from the lynx of Canada. The Mediterra- 
nean or Spanish Lynx seems likewise entitled to rank as a distinct species. 

Of the lynxes the Caracals are perhaps the most interesting, from their capacity for domes- 
tication. They are found in Africa in the open desert country, whereas the Serval is found in 
the thick bush. In Africa it is believed to be the most savage and untamable of the Cats. That 
is probably because the Negro and the Kaffir never possessed the art of training animals, from 
the elephant downwards. In India the caracal's natural prey are the fawns of deer and antelope, 
pea-fowl, hares, and floricans. The caracal is the quickest with its feet of any of the Cats. One 
of its best-known feats is to spring up and catch birds passing over on the wing at a height of 
six or eight feet from the ground. A writer, in the Naturalist's Library, notes that, besides being 
tamed to catch deer, pea-fowl, and cranes, the caracal was used in " pigeon matches." Two 
caracals were backed one against the other to kill pigeons. The birds were fed on the ground, 
and the caracals suddenly let loose among them, to strike down as many as each could before 
the birds escaped. Each would sometimes strike down with its forepaws ten or a dozen pigeons. 
" Caracal" means in Turkish " Black Ear," in allusion to the colour of the animal's organ of hearing. 

The Common Lynx is a thick-set animal, high in the leg, with a square head and very strong 
paws and forearms. It is found across the whole northern region of Europe and Asia. 
Although never known in Britain in historic times, it is still occasionally seen in parts of the 
Alps and in the Carpathians ; it is also common in the Caucasus. It is mainly a forest animal, 
and very largely nocturnal ; therefore it is seldom seen, and not often hunted. If any enemy 
approaches, the lynx lies perfectly still on some branch or rock, and generally succeeds in avoiding 
notice. The lynx is extremely active ; it can leap great distances, and makes its attack usually 




Fiuf bj Ott$tnmr jimtekutvn] 



LYNX 
TJUs amwisl is a umformly nlourcd species common to InSa and Africa 



[Btflu. 



64 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Pfutt fy Jt, S, Rudland ^ Sons 

EUROPEAN LYNX 

The largest of the cat tribe left in Europe 



in that way. When traveling, it trots 
or gallops in a very dog-like fashion. 
Where sheep graze at large on moun- 
tains, as in the Balkans and in Greece, 
the lynx is a great enemy of the flocks. 
In Norway, where the animal is now 
very rare, there is a tradition that it 
is more mischievous than the wolf, and 
a high price is set on its head. 

In Siberia and North Russia 
most of the lynx-skins taken are 
sold to the Chinese. The lynx-skins 
brought here are mainly those of the 
Canadian species. The fur is dyed, 
and used for the busbies of the 
officers in the hussar regiments. 
These skins vary much in colour, 
and in length and quality of fur. 
The price varies correspondingly. 
The Canadian lynx lives mainly on 
the wood-hares and on the wood- 
grouse of the North American forests. The flesh of the lynx is said to be good and tender. 
Brehm says of the Siberian lynx : " It is a forest animal in the strictest sense of the word. 

But in Siberia it occurs only singly, and is rarely captured. Its true home is in the thickest 

parts in the interior of the woods, and these it probably never leaves except when scarcity of 

food or the calls of love tempt it to wander to the outskirts. Both immigrants and natives hold 

the hunting of the lynx in high esteem. This proud cat's activity, caution and agility, and 

powers of defense arouse the enthusiasm of every sportsman, and both skin and flesh are valued, 

the latter not only by the Mongolian tribes, but also by the Russian hunters. The lynx is 

seldom captured in fall-traps ; 

he often renders them useless 

by walking along the beam 

and stepping on the lever, 

and he usually leaps over the 

spring-traps in his path. So 

only the rifle and dogs are 

left." 

The Red Lynx is a small 

American variety, the coat of 

which turns tawny in summer, 

when it much resembles a 

large cat. It is called in some 

parts of the United States the 

Mountain-cat. This lynx is 

30 inches long in the body, 

with a tail 6 inches long. It 

is found on the eastern or 

Atlantic side of the continent, 

and by no means shuns the 

neighbourhood of settlements. 




By ftrmliiim •/ Mr. S, B. Gund;'\ 

CANADIAN LYNX 
Great numbcn of these are trapped every year for the sake of thar fur 



[r. 




fhtf fy Ottmuir jtnichStsc] 

CHEETAS 
CJktetas can he disangmiked at a glance from the orSnary Uopardi by tk$ Moiid blatk tpott upon the hack instead of the " 
9 65 



[A«r/te 



66 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




A CHEETA HOODED 



TJu ckeeta is not unhoedtd until fairly near his ouarry^ ivhtn he is given 
a sight of the game, and a splenSd race ensues 



THE CITEETA 
The Non-Retractile-Clawed Cat 

The Cheeta. or Hunting-leopard, is the 
only example of this particular group, though 
there was an extinct form, whose remains are 
found in the Siwalik Hills, in the north of 
India. It is a very widely dispersed animal^ 
found in Persia, Turkestan, and the countries 
east of the Caspian, and in India so far as the 
lower part of the centre of the peninsula. It 
is also common in Africa, where until recent 
years it was found in Cape Colony and Natal. 
Now it is banished to the Kalahari Desert^ 
the Northern Transvaal, and Bcchuanaland. 

The cheeta is more dog-like than any 
other cat. It stands high on the leg, and 
has a short, rounded head. Its fur is short 
and rather woolly, its feet rounded, and its 
claws, instead of slipping back into sheaths 
like a lion's, are only partly retractile. 

Mr. Lockwood Kipling gives the follow- 
ing account of the cheeta and its keepers : 
" The only point where real skill comes into- 
play in dealing with the hunting-leopard 
is in catching the adult animal when it has. 
already learnt the swift, bounding onset, its. 



\^V*tting mil 



one accomplishment. The young cheeta is not worth catching, for it has not yet learnt its trade,, 
nor can it be taught in captivity. . . . There are certain trees where these great dog-(!ats (for 
they have some oddly canine characteristics) come to play and whet their claws. The hunters find 
such a tree, and arrange nooses of deer-sinew round it, and wait the event. The animal comes and 
is caught by the leg, and it is at this point that the trouble begins. It is no small achievement for 
two or three naked, ill-fed men to secure so fierce a capture and carry it home tied on a cart. Then 
his training begins. He is tied in all directions, principally from a thick rope round his loins, while 
a hood fitted over his head effectually blinds him. He is fastened on a strong cot-bedstead, and 
the keepers and their wives and families reduce him to submission by starving him and keeping him 
awake. His head is made to face the village street, and for an hour at a time, several times a day, 
his keepers make pretended rushes at him, and wave clothes, staves, and other articles in his face. 
He is talked to continually, and the women's tongues are believed to be the most effective of things 
to keep him awake. No created being could withstand the effects of hunger, want of sleep, and 
feminine scolding ; and the poor cheeta becomes piteously, abjectly tame. He is taken out for a 
walk occasionally — if a slow crawl between four attendants, all holding hard, can be called a walk — 
and his promenades are always through the crowded streets and bazaars, where the keepers' friends 
are to be found ; but the people are rather pleased than otherwise to see the raja's cheetas amongst 
them." Later, when the creature is tamed, " the cheeta's bedstead is like that of the keeper, and 
leopard and man are often curled up under the same blanket ! When his bedfellow is restless, 
the keeper lazily stretches out an arm from his end of the coat and dangles a tassel over the 
animal's head, which seems to soothe him. In the early morning I have seen a cheeta sitting up 
on his couch, a red blanket half covering him, and his tasseled red hood awry, looking exactly 
like an elderly gentleman in a nightcap, as he yawns with the irresolute air of one who is in doubt 
whether to rise or to turn in for another nap." 



THE CAT TRIBE 



67 



This charming and accurate description shows the cheeta at home. In the field he is quite 
another creature. He is driven as near as possible to the game, and then unhooded and given a 
sight of them. Sir Samuel Baker thus describes a hunt in which a cheeta was used : " The chase 
began after the right-hand buck, which had a start of about 1 10 yards. It was a magnificent sight 
to see the extraordinary speed of pursuer and pursued. The buck flew over the level surface, 
followed by the cheeta, which was laying out at full stretch, with its long, thick tail brandishing 
in the air. They had run 200 yards, when the keeper gave the word, and away we went as fast 
as our horses could carry us. The horses could go over this clear ground, where no danger of a 
fall seemed possible. I never saw anything to equal the speed of the buck and the cheeta ; we 
were literally nowhere, although we were going as hard as horse-flesh could carry us ; but we had 
a glorious view. The cheeta was gaining in the course, while the buck was exerting every muscle 
for life or death in its last race. Presently, after a course of about a quarter of a mile, the buck 
doubled like a hare, and the cheeta lost ground as it shot ahead, instead of turning quickly, being 
only about thirty yards in rear of the buck. Recovering itself, it turned on extra steam, and the 
race appeared to recommence at increased speed. The cheeta was determined to win, and at this 
moment the buck made another double in the hope of shaking off its terrible pursuer; but this 
time the cheeta ran cunning, and was aware of the former game. It turned as sharply as the 
buck. Gathering itself together for a final effort, it shot forward like an arrow, picked up the 
distance which remained between them, and in a cloud of dust we could for one moment distin- 
guish two forms. The next instant the buck was on its back, and the cheeta's fangs were fixed 
like an iron vice in its throat. The course run was about 600 yards, and it was worth a special 
voyage to India to see that hunt." 




r)ui€ hy Otumar An$chut»] \,BtrUn 

A CHEETA ON THE LOOK-OUT 
Cktttsi art cowtmou to Africa and InSa, By the native princes of the latter country they are much need for taking amteiope and other gawm 



68 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




PJuf bj r. ¥mir\ [Bskgr ttrtt 

WHITE SHORT-HAIRED 

Aioit tvhitt cats are not alhinoes — that is to say, they Aavt onSmarify 
(oioured and not red eyes 



THE DOMESTIC CAT 
By Louis Wain 

Of the domestication of the cat we know 
very little, but it is recorded that a tribe of cats 
was trained to retrieve — i,e,, to fetch and carry 
game. In our own time I have seen many cats 
fetch and carry corks and newspapers, and on 
one occasion pounce upon a small roach at the 
end of a line and place it at its owner's feet 
Gamekeepers whom I have known agree that, 
for cunning, craftiness, and tenacity in attain- 
ing an object, the semi-wild cat of the woods 
shows far superior intelligence to the rest of the 
woodland denizens. It is quite a usual thing to 
hear of farm cats entering upon a snake-hunt- 
ing expedition with the greatest glee, and 
showing remarkable readiness in pitching upon their quarry and pinning it down Until secured. 
These farm cats are quite a race by themselves. Of decided sporting proclivities, they roam the 
countryside with considerable fierceness, and yet revert to the domesticity of the farmhouse fire- 
side as though innocent of roving instincts. They are spasmodic to a degree in their mode of life, 
ajid apparently work out one mood before entering upon another. It will be remembered that 
this spasmodic tendency — ^the true feline independence, by the bye — is and has been characteristic 
of the cat throughout its history, and any one who has tried to overcome it has met with failure. 
Watch your own cat, and you will see that he will change his sleeping-quarters periodically ; 
ajid if he can find a newspaper conveniently placed, he will prefer it to lie upon, before anything 
perhaps, except a cane-bottomed chair, to which all cats are very partial. If you keep a number 
of cats, as I do, you will find that they are very imitative, and what one gets in the habit of doing 
they will all do in time : for instance, one of my cats took to sitting with his front paws inside my 
tall hat and his body outside, and this has become a catty fashion in the family, whether the object 
be a hat, cap, bonnet, small basket, box, or tin. If by chance one of the cats is attacked by a 
dog, a peculiar cry from the aggrieved animal will immediately awaken the others out of their 
lethargy or sleep, and bring them fiercely to the rescue. They 
are, too, particularly kind and nice to the old cat, and are 
tolerant only of strange baby kittens and very old cat^ ia the 
garden as long as they do not interfere witii the 
"catty" subject. The same quality obtains in Spain 
or Portugal, where a race of scavenging cats 
exists, which go about in droves or fiimilies, 
and are equal to climbing straight walls, 
big trees, chimneys, and moun- 



tainsides. Long, lanky, and 
thin, they are built more on the 
lines of a greyhound than the 
ordinary cat, and are more easily 
trained in tricks than home cats. 
The ToRTOiSESHELL has long 
been looked upon as the national 
cat of Spain, and in fact that 
country is overrun with the 
breed, ranging from a dense 




Fh$f fy r. Fat:] [Bsigr isrtee 

LONG-HAIRED WTHITE 
Sr*tte cats toitk hlti4 eyes are generally deaf^ or at all events hard of Jkearti^ 




Plff fy FrmttlU jtUnmH, Fhrtne* 

MACKEREL-MARKED TABBY 

TsUies are probably the best known and the 

commonest cats 



PhMkyL, MidUnd^ W,Z,S,^ N$rth Finthlty 

CAT CARRYING KITTEN 

A unique photography showing the %uay tn 
which the cat carries its young 



Fhtf fy E, Landt^ EsUng 

BLUE LONG-HAIRED, OR 
PERSIAN 

Persian or long'hmred cats are of variomi 
colours i this is one of the least common 





By ftrmitsitn $/ Lady Altxandtr 

ORANGE TABBY 

A champion %uinner of go first privus 



Ph$f iy B. LmndT^ Ealhtg 

SMOKE AND BLUE LONG-HAIRED 

Two pretty and valuable Persian kittens 




Ph%u by E, Land$r, EmUng 

LONG-HAIRED TABBY 
ji pretty pose 



p}ft$ iy E. Land^r^ Ealing 

SILVER PERSIAN 
ji handsome specimen 

6q 



1 ^^^B 


-•\ .^ A^^^^ 


A. '^' 


k£^ 


w 




* \' 


iW 



Ftuf iy C. Landtr^ Ealing 

SMOKE LONG-HAIRED, OB 
PERSIAN 
Amtw breed 



70 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




SHORT-HAIRED BLUE 

TAts cham^on cat heiongt to Lady Alexander^ by whou 
kind permituoH it is here reproduced 



black and brown to lighter shades of orange brown 
and white. The pure tortoiseshell might be called a 
black and tan, with no white, streaked like a tortoise- 
shell comb if possible, and with wonderful amber eyes. 
It is characteristic of their intelligence that they will 
invariably find their way home, and will even bring 
that mysterious instinct to bear which guides them 
back long distances to the place of their birth; and, 
with regard to this cat, the stories of almost impossible 
journeys made are not one bit exaggerated. The tom- 
cats of this breed are very rare in England ; I myself 
have only known of the existence of six in fifteen years, 
and of these but three are recorded in the catalogues of 
the cat shows. 

The Black Cat has many of the characteristics 
of the tortoiseshell, but is essentially a town cat, and 
is wont to dream his life away in shady corners, in 
underground cellars, in theatres, and in all places where he can, in fact, retire to monastic quiet; 
The black cat of St Clement Danes Church was one of the remarkable cats of London. It 
was his wont to climb on to the top of the organ-pipes and enjoy an occasional musical concert 
alone. A christening or a wedding was his pride; and many people can vouch for a lucky 
wedding who had the good-fortune to be patronised by the black cat of St. Clement Danes, 
which walked solemnly down the aisle of the church in front of the happy couples. 

My old pet Peter was a black-and-white cat, and, like most of his kind, was one of the most 
remarkable cats for intelligence I have ever known. A recital of his accomplishments would, 
however, have very few believers — a fact I find existing in regard to all really intelligent cats. 
There are so many cats of an opposite character, and people will rarely take more than a 
momentary trouble to win the finer nature of an animal into existence. SuflRce it to say, that 
Peter would lie and die, sit up with spectacles on his nose and with a post-card between his paws 
— a trick I have taught many people's cats to do. He would also mew silent meows when bid, 
and wait at the door for my home-coming. For a long time, too, it was customary to hear 
weird footfalls at night outside the bedroom doors, and visitors to the house were a little more 
superstitious as to their cause than we were ourselves. We set a watch upon the supposed 
ghost, but sudden opening of the doors discovered only the mystic form of Peter sitting purring 
on the stairs. He was, however, ultimately caught in the act of lifting the corner of the door- 
rug and letting it fall back in its place, and he had grown quite expert in his method of raising 

and dropping it at regular intervals until he 
heard that his signals had produced the required 
effect, and the door was opened to admit him. 

White Cats I might call musical cats, for 
it is quite characteristic of the albinoes that 
noises rarely startle them out of their simpering, 
loving moods. The scraping of a violin, which 
will scare an ordinary cat out of its senses, or 
the thumping of a piano, which would terrorise 
even strong-nerved cats, would only incite a 
white cat to a happier mood. Certainly all white 
cats are somewhat deaf, or lack acute quality of 
senses ; but this failing rather softens the feline 
nature than becomes dominant as a weakness. 




9h9f h T, Fair] 



iBaktr Strttt 



SILVER TABBY 
A beautiful variety of a typical eat 



THE CAT TRIBE 



71 




Ph9f fy E. Landtr] lEaling 

SHORT-HAIRED TABBY 
TAis is perhaps the most famous cat now living. It has won no less than 200 prists 



The nearest to perfection 

perhaps, and yet at the same 

time extremely soft and finely 

made, is the Blue Cat, rare 

in England as an English cat, 

but common in most other 

countries, and called in 

America the Maltese Cat — for 

fashion's sake probably, since 

it is too widely distributed 

there to be localised as of 

foreign origin. It is out in 

the mining districts and 

agricultural quarters, right 

away from the beaten tracks 

of humanity, where the most 

wonderful breeds of cats 

develop in America; and 

caravan showmen have told me that at one time it was quite a business for them to carry cats 

into these wildernesses, and sell them to rough, hardy miners, who dealt out death to each 

other without hesitation in a quarrel, but who softened to the appeal of an animal which 

reminded them of homelier times. 

One man told me that upon one occasion he sold eight cats at an isolated mining township 

in Colorado, and some six days' journey farther on he was caught up by a man on horseback 

from the township, who had ridden hard to overtake the menagerie caravan, with the news that 

one of the cats had climbed a monster pine-tree, and that all the other cats had followed in his 

wake; food and drink had been placed in plenty rt the foot of the tree, but that the cats had 

been starving, frightened out of their senses, for three days, and despite all attempts to reach 

them they had only climbed higher and higher out of reach into the uppermost and most 

dangerous branches of the pine. The showman hastened 
with his guide across country to the township, only to 
find that in the interval one bright specimen of a man 
belonging to the village had suggested felling the tree 
and so rescuing the cats from the pangs of absolute 
starvation, should they survive the ordeal. A dynamite 
cartridge had been used to blast the roots of the pine, 
and a rope attached to its trunk had done the rest and 
brought the monster tree to earth, only, however, at the 
expense of all the cats, for not one survived the 
tremendous fall and shaking. A sad and tearful pro- 
cession followed the remains of the cats to their hastily 
dug grave, and thereafter a bull mastiff took the place 
of the cats in the township, an animal more in character 
with the lives of its inhabitants. 

Analogous to this case of the traveling menageries, 
we have the great variety of blues, silvers, and whites 
which are characteristic of Russia. There is a vast table- 
land of many thousands of miles in extent, intersected by 
caravan routes to all the old countries of the ancients, 
and it is not astonishing to hear of attempts being made 




Phtf kj E, Lander"] lEaling 

LONG-HAIRED ORANGE 

A good specimen of this variety is always large and 
finely furred 



72 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Pluu h C, R*id] 



[Ifnshaw, S. B, 



thtf fy £. Landtr} 



lEaling 



MANX 



SIAMESE 



TAest taiiUu eats are notll kturmni they tvere formerly called 
'* Cornwall eats,** Note the length of the kind legs, which is one 
^ftht eharaeteristies of this variety of the domestic cat 



Theu strikingly coloured cats are now fairly numerous, hut com^ 
mand high prices. They have white kittens, which suhsefuentJ/ 
become coloured 



to Steal the wonderful cats of Persia, China, and Northern India, as well as those of the 
many dependent and independent tribes which bound the Russian kingdom. But it is a 
remarkable fact that none but the blues can live in the attenuated atmosphere of the higher 
mountainous districts through which they are taken before arriving in Russian territory. It is 
no uncommon thing to find a wonderful complexity of blue cats shading to silver and white in 
most Russian villages, or blue cats of remarkable beauty, but with a dash of tabby-marking 
tiniling - through their coats. Their life, too, is lived at the two extremes. In the short Russian 
feufn'mer tbe)^^Y6a*ri- the woodlands, pestered by a hundred poisonous insects ; in the winter they 
^e^iftiprifeoned within* the four walls of a snow-covered cottage, and are bound down prisoners to 
domesticity till the thSW-setsM*h again. Many of the beautiful furs which come to us from Russia 
tfe really the skins of tliese c^ts,-- the- preparation of which for market has grown into a large 
and thriving industry. -IFh^ <:6unfr.y ^Kiut Kronstadt, in the Southern Carpathian Mountains 
of Austria, is famQils^fet its fin'ely developed animals ; and here, too, -haS gro^ri-up a colony of 
sable-coloured cats, said tdbe of Turkish origin, where the pariahs take the place of cats. 

The Tabby is remarkable to us in that it ft chSiracteristic of our own country, and no other 
colour seems to have been popular until our* own* times. If you ask any one which breed of 
cat is the real domestic cat, you will be tbld-the tabby, probably because it is so well known to 
all. The complexity of the tabby is really remartc&We, and for shape and variety of colouring 
it has no equal in any other tribe of cat. It has comprised in its nature all the really great 
qualities of the feline, and all its worst attributes. You can truthfully say of one of its 




BLUE LONG-HAIRED, OR PERSIAN 
Tins eat belonged to Sluten Victoria 



SILVER PERSIANS 
ThretofMrs, Champion* s celebrated t 



THE CAT TRIBE 



73 




PiMt t; R. Landtr] lEaling 

LONG-HAIRED CHINCHILLA 

Nctt tk* beautiful **Jluffitteu** of this cat* x fur 



specimens that it attaches itself to the indi- 
vidual, while of another in the same litter you 
will get an element of wildness. A third of the 
same parents will sober down to the house, 
but take only a passing notice of people. You 
can teach it anything if it is tractable, make it 
follow like a dog, come to whistle, but it will 
have its independence. 

The Sand-coloured Cat, with a whole- 
coloured coat like the rabbit, which we know 
as the Abyssinian or Bunny Cat, is a strong 
African type. On the Gold Coast it comes 
down from the inland country with its ears all 
bitten and torn away in its fights with rivals. 
It has been acclimatised in England, and Devon- 
shire and Cornwall have both established a new 
The Manx Cat is nearly allied to it, and a hundred 



and distinct tribe out of its parentage. 

years ago the tailless cat was called the Cornwall Cat, not the Manx. 

Siam sends us a regal aminal in the Siamese Royal Cat ; it has a brown face, legs, and tail, 
a cream-coloured body, and mauve or blue eyes. The Siamese take great care of their cats, for 
it is believed that the souls of the departed are transmitted into the bodies of animals, and the 
cat is a favourite of their creed ; consequently the cats are highly cultivated and intelligent, and 
can think out ways and means to attain an end. 

I have tried for years to trace the origin of the Long-haired or Persian Cats, but I cannot 
find that they were known to antiquity, and even the records of later times only mention the 
Short-haired. European literature does not give us an insight into the subject; and unless 
Chinese history holds some hidden 
lights in its records, we are thrown 
back upon the myths of Persia to 
account for the wonderful modern 
contribution of the long-haired cat, 
which is gradually breeding out 
into as many varieties as the short- 
haired, with this difference — that 
greater care and trouble are taken 
over the long-haired, and they will, 
as a breed, probably soon surpass 
the short-haired for intelligence 
and culture. 

One variety is quite new and 
distinctive — the Smoke Long- 
haired, whose dark brown or black 
surface-coat, blown aside, shows an 
under coat of blue and silver, with 
a light brown frill round its neck. 
All the other long-haired cats 
can pair with the short-haired 
for colouring and marking, but I 
have not yet seen a Bunny Long- 
haired. 

10 




Phtu bj H, Trtvr Jtsfp 

THE "BUN'' OR "TICKED'' SHORT-HAIRED CAT 

TAit is out •f tii rarta of cats. It belongs to Miss K, Maud Bennett who Mas IdnMy 

had it photographed for this work 



CHAPTER III 

THE FOSSA, CirETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 



THE FOSSA 




I 



l'h»f by A, S, kudUnd ^ Stns 

FOSSA 

TAe enlyfeUne amMiaJ of Aiaii^axsr 



N the Fossa Madagascar 
possesses an altogether 
peculiar animal. It is a 
very slender, active creature, 
with all its proportions much 
elongated. It is of a bright 
bay uniform colour, with thick 
fur, and has sharp retractile 
claws. It has been described 
as the natural connecting link 
between the Civets and the 
Cats, anatomically speaking. 
Thus it has retractile claws, 
but does not walk on its toes, 
like cats, but on the soles of 
its feet (the hind pair of which 
is quite naked), like a civet. 
Very few have been brought 

to captivity ; indeed, the first time that one was exhibited in the Zoological Gardens was only 

ten years ago. Formerly stories were told of its ferocity, which was compared to that of the 

tiger. These tales were naturally the subject of ridicule. The fossa usually attains a length of 

about S feet from snout to tail, and is the largest of the carnivora of Madagascar. A fine young 

specimen lately brought to London, and in the Zoological Gardens at the time of writing, is now 

probably full grown. It is about the same 

length and height as a large ocelot, but with a 

far longer tail, and is more slenderly built. The 

extreme activity of the fossa no doubt renders 

it a very formidable foe to other and weaker 

creatures. It has been described by a recent 

writer as being entirely nocturnal, and preying 

mainly on the lemurs and birds which haunt 

the forests of Madagascar. The animal kept at 

the Zoological Gardens has become fairly tame. 

It is fed mainly on chickens' heads and other 

refuse from poulterers' shops. Apparently it 

has no voice of any kind. It neither growls, 

roars, nor mews,, though, when irritated or 

frightened, it gives a kind of hiss like a cat. 




74 



PA*f* fy L. MtdUnd, f. Z.S.I iNtrth FinchU^ 

LARGE INDIAN CIVET 

G^eti art nocturnal in tUir kakitt. That tkown ktrt koijiui 

invaktrnd in hroaJ daylight 



THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 75 

THE CIVETS AND GENETS 

The Civets are the first marked deviation from the Cat Family. Their bodies are elongated 
their legs short, their claws only partially retractile. Some of them have glands holding a strong 
scent, much esteemed in old days in Europe, when " The Civet Cat " was a common inn-sigi) 
even in England. The civets are generally beautifully marked with black stripes and bands on 
gray. But none of them grow to any large size, and the family has never had the importance 
of those which contain the large carnivora, like the true cats or bears. Many of the tribe and its 
connections are domesticated. Some scholars have maintained that the cat of the ancient Greeks 
was one of then — the common genet. The fact is that both this and the domestic cat were kept 
by the ancients ; and the genet is still used as a cat by the peasants of Greece and Southern Italy. 

The African Civet and Indian Civet are large species. The former is common almost 
throughout Africa. Neither of them seems to climb trees, but they find abundance of food by 
catching small ground-dwelling animals and birds. They are good swimmers. The Indian civet 
has a handsome skin, of a beautiful gray ground-colour, with black collar and markings. It is 
from these civets that the civet-scent is obtained. They are kept in cages for this purpose, and 
the secretion is scooped from the glands with a wooden spoon. They produce three or four kit- 
tens in May or June. Several other species very little differing from these are known as the 
Malabar, Javan, and Burmese Civets. 

The Rasse is smaller, has no erectile crest, and its geographical distribution extends from 
Africa to the Far East It is commonly kept as a domestic pet. Like all the civets, it will eat 
fruit and vegetables. 

The Genets, though resembling the civets, have no scent-pouch. They are African creatures, 
but are found in Italy, Spain, and Greece, and in Palestine, and even in the south of France. 
Beautifully spotted or striped, they are even longer and lower than the civet-cats, and steal 
through the grass like weasels. 

The Common Genet is black and gray, the latter being the ground-colour. The tail is very 
long, the length being about 15 inches, while that of the body and head is only 19 inches. 
Small rodents, snakes, eggs and birds are its principal food. It is kept in Southern Europe for 




etMt fy A. 8. Rudland ^ $•%$ 

AFRICAN civet 
This is ont of the largtu oftki Gvtt Tribe. The ptrfuwu known as «« civa ** Is obtmnedfnm it 



76 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




P)M9 k; SchtUsth Plff, C«.] iParstm^s Grtem 

AFRICAN CIVET 

TMit ^tograpk thovts the finely marked fur of tkt sfeaex and tk* front view of tke kead 



killing rats. Several other 
very similar forms are found in 
Africa. The presence of such 
a very Oriental-looking ani- 
mal in Europe is something 
of a surprise, though many 
persons forget that our South 
European animals are very 
like those of Africa and the 
East. The porcupine, which 
is common in Italy and Spain, 
and the lynx and Barbary ape 
are instances. A tame genet 
kept by an acquaintance of the 
writer in Italy was absolutely 
domesticated like a tame 
mongoose. It had very pretty 
fur, gray, marbled and spotted with black, and no disagreeable odour, except a scent of musk. 
It was a most active little creature, full of curiosity, and always anxious to explore not only 
every room, but every cupboard and drawer in the house. Perhaps this was due to its keenness 
in hunting mice, a sport of which it never tired. It did not play with the mice when caught as 
a cat does, but ate them at once. 

The LiNSANGS, an allied group, are met with in the East, from India to Borneo and Java. 
They are more slender than the genets, and more arboreal. Of the Nepalese Linsang Hodgson 
writes : " This animal is equally at home on trees and on the ground. It breeds and dwells in 
the hollows of decaying trees. It is not gregarious, and preys mainly on living animals." A 
tame female owned by him is stated to have been wonderfully docile and tractable, very sensitive 
to cold, and very fond of being petted. There is a:n allied West African species. 

The Palm-civets and Hemigales still further increase this numerous tribe. Slight differ- 
ences of skull, of the markings of the tail, which may only have rings on the base, and of the 
foot and tail, are the naturalist's guide to their separation from the other civets ; Hardwicke's 
Hemigale has more zebra-like markings. Borneo, 
Africa, India, and the Himalaya all produce these 
active little carnivora ; but the typical palm-civets are 
Oriental They are sometimes known as Toddy-cats, 
because they drink the toddy from the jars fastened to 
catch the juice. The groves of cocoanut-palm are their 
favourite haunts ; but they will make a home in holes in 
the thatched roofs of houses, and even in the midst 
of cities. There are many species in the group. 

The BiNTURONG is another omnivorous, tree- 
haunting animal allied to the civets ; but it has a 
prehensile tail, which few other mammals of the Old 
World possess. It is a blunt-nosed, heavy animal, 
sometimes called the Bear-cat. Very little is known 
of its habits. It is found from the Eastern Himalaya 
to Java. 

The last of the Civet Family is Bennett's Civet, 
the only instance of a cat-like animal with partly 
webbed feet. Found in the Malay Peninsula and in 




Ph*U h L. MtdUnd, r.Z.5.] \V9rth TintMtj 

SUMATRAN CIVET 

A umall ^nd very beaunfui memher tf tke Ovet Fmmlj» 

It feeds largely on juk 



THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 77 



Sumatra and Borneo, it is very rare, but is known to feed on fish and Crustacea, and to be semi- 
aquatic. The author of the chapter on the civets in the Naturalist's Library says, " It may be 
likened to a chmbing otter." 

THE MONGOOSE AND ICHNEUMON FAMILY 

These are a numerous and useful race of small mammals, feeding mainly on the creatures 
most annoying to man within tropical countries. Snakes, the eggs of the crocodile, large lizard, 
rats, mice, and other creatures known generally as " vermin," are their favourite food. It must 
be added that, though they are most useful in destroying these, they also kill all kinds of birds, 
and that their introduction into some of the West India Islands, for the purpose of killing rats, 
has been fatal to the indigenous bird life. 

The Indian Mongoose 
This universal favourite is one of the largest, the head and body being from 15 to 18 inches 



' ^*,^o 









^^i 



%.^ 



'X>' 






fhtu bj A. S. RudUnd &• Stns 

GENET 

Tki genets are tmaller than some civets, hut allied to them. One was anciently domesticated Hke a cat 

long, and the tail 14 inches. The fur is loose and long, and capable of being erected. As in all 
the tribe, the tint is a " pepper and salt," the " pepper" colour being sometimes blackish and 
sometimes red, but a speckled appearance characterises the whole group. This is the animal 
supposed to be immune from snake-bite. It is possibly so to some extent, for it kills and eats 
the poisonous snakes, and it is now known that the eating of snake-poison tends to give the 
same protection as inoculation does against certain diseases. But it is certain that in most cases 
the mongoose, by its activity, and by setting up the hair on its body, which makes the snake 
<* strike short," saves itself from being bitten. 

Many descriptions of the encounters between these brave little animals and the cobra have 
been written. Here is one of the less known : " One of our officers had a tame mongoose, a 
charming little pet. Whenever we could procure a cobra — and we had many opportunities — 
we used to turn it out in an empty storeroom, which had a window at some height from the 
ground, so that it was perfectly safe to stand there and look on. The cobra, when dropped from 
the bag or basket, would wriggle into one of the corners of the room and there coil himself up. 
The mongoose showed the greatest excitement on being brought to the window, and the moment 



78 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




he was let loose would eagerly jump down into 
the room, when his behaviour became very 
curious and interesting. He would instantly 
see where the snake was, and rounding his 
back, and making every hair on his body stand 
out at right angles, which made his body ap- 
pear twice as large as it really was, he would 
approach the cobra on tiptoe, making a 
peculiar humming noise. The snake, in the 
meantime, would show signs of great anxiety^ 
and I fancy of fear, erecting his head and 
hood ready to strike when his enemy came 
near enough. The mongoose kept running 
backwards and forwards in front of the snake, 
gradually getting to within what appeared to 
us to be striking distance. The snake would 
strike at him repeatedly, and appeared to hit him, but the mongoose continued his comic dance, 
apparently unconcerned. Suddenly, and with a movement so rapid that the eye could not 
follow it, he would pin the cobra by the back of the head. One could hear the sharp teeth 
crunch into the skull, and, when all was over, see the mongoose eating the snake's head and 
part of his body with great gusto. Our little favourite killed a great many cobras, and, so far as 
I can See, never was bitten. 

The Egyptian Mongoose, or Ichneumon, has an equally great reputation for eating the 
eggs of the crocodile ; and the Kaffir Mongoose, a rather larger South African species, is kept 
as a domestic animal to kill rats, mice, and snakes, of which, like the Indian kind, it is a deadly foe. 
There are more than twenty other species, most of much the same appearance and habits. 
The smooth-nosed mongoose tribe are closely allied creatures in South Africa, mainly bur- 
rowing animals, feeding both on flesh and fruit. The Cusimanses of Abyssinia and West Africa 
are also allied to them. Their habits are identical with the above. 



fh»u b) L. MUland^ F.Z,S} [N^rth Fincklty 

TWO-SPOTTED PALM-CIVET 

TJkii is a Wtu African species^ which, with an allitd form from Rati 

Afrrca^ reprtsents tk* faJm-diHtt in the Dark Continemt 



The Meerkats, or Suricates 

Most people who have read Frank Buckland's Life will remember the suricate which was his 
chief pet in Albany Street. The 
Suricates, or Meerkats, burrow all 
over the South African veldt, espe- 
cially in the sandy parts, where they 
sit up outside their holes like prairie- 
dogs, and are seen by day. They 
are sociable animals, and make most 
amusing pets. A full-grown one is 
not much larger than a hedgehog, 
but more slender. It barks like a 
prairie-dog, and has many other noises 
of pleasure or anger. A lady, the 
owner of one, writes in Country Life : 
" It gets on well with the dogs and 
cats, especially the latter, as they are 
more friendly to her, and allow her to 
sleep by their side and on the top of 
them. One old cat brings small birds 




MASKED PALM-CIVET 
A wholi^ourtd ffedu of the group 



\^S'trih Finchla^ 



THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 79 




Phtf by Rthtrt D. Carfn] [PhiUdtlfhU 

BINTURONG 

Tit ^nturong is placed with the civets. It has a pre- 
kenaU tail like the Ainkajou [see page 127) 



to her ^her favtjurite is a sparrow), and makes her 
usual cry, and Janet runs to her and carries off the 
bird, which she eats, feathers and all, in a very few 
minutes, if she is hungry." When near a farm, the 
meerkats will devour eggs and young chickens. 
They are also said to eat the eggs of the large 
leopard-tortoise. The commonest is the Slender- 
tailed Meerkat. It is found all over South Africa, 
and is very common i.i the Karroo. It eats insects 
and grubs as well as small animals, and is commonly 
kept as a pet throughout the Colony. 

We have now traced the long line of the 
Carnivora from the lordly Lion, the slayer of man and 
his flocks and herds, and the Tiger, equally formidable 
and no less specially developed for a life of rapine on 
a great scale, to creatures as small and insignificant 
. as the Meerkat, which is at least as much an insect- 
feeder as a devourer of flesh, and the Ichneumons 
and Civets. The highest form of specialisation in the 
group is the delicate mechanism by which the chief 
weapons of offense, the claws, are enabled to keep 
their razor edge by being drawn up into sheaths when the animal walks, but can be instantly 
thrust out at pleasure, rigid and sharp as sword-blades. The gradual process by which this 
equipment deteriorates in the Civets and disappears in the Mongoose should be noted. There 
are many other carnivora, but none so formidable as those possessing the retractile claws. Thus 
the Bears, though often larger in bulk than the Lion, are far inferior in the power of inflicting 
violent injury. At the same time such delicate mechanism is clearly not necessary for the well- 
'being of a species. The members of the Weasel Tribe are quite as well able to take care of 
themselves as the small cats, though they have non-retractile and not very formidable claws. 

Such a very abnornal animal as the Binturqng — of which we are able to give an excellent 
photograph — is doubtless rightly assigned to the place in which modern science has placed it^ But 
it will be found that there are several very anomalous forms quite as detached from any general 
type as is the binturong. Nature 
does not make species on. any strictly 
graduated scale. Many of these 
nondescript animals are so unlike 
any other group or family that they 
seem almost freaks of nature. The 
binturong is certainly one of these. 

The next group with which we 
deal is that of the Hyaenas. In these 
the equipment for catching living 
prey is very weak. Speed and pursuit 
are not their metier^ but the eating of 
dead and decaying animal matter, and 
the consumption of bones. Hence 
the jaws and teeth are highly de- 
veloped, while the rest of the body 
• is degenerate. 




Ph*f kf L. UtdUnd^ F,Z.S.] 



MONGOOSE 

Tke InMsM wscngoou U the great enemy of snakes, 
of the creeoSU 



[Ntrth Finthlty 



Aaetkew species eats tie ^gjk 



8o 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




4 

Ph9t9 kj 

A mall. 



A. S. RudUnd ^ S»ns 

MEERKAT 

mainly inuctivorous animaly found in South Africa } 
called the Suricate 



also 



The question of the comparative intelli- 
gence of the Apes and Monkeys, and the 
carnivorous animals subsequently described in 
these pages, is an interesting one. It would 
seem at first as if the Cat Tribe and their rela- 
tions, which have to obtain their prey by con- 
stant hunting, and often to make use of consid- 
erable reflection and thought to bring their 
enterprises against other animals to a successful 
issue, would be more likely to develop intelli- 
gence and to improve in brain-power than the 
great Apes, which find an easy living in the 
tropical forests, and only seek fruits and vegeta- 
bles for their food. Yet it is quite certain that 
this is not the case. The Cat Tribe, with the 
exception of the domesticated cats, does not 
show high intelligence. Even the latter are 
seldom trained to obey man, though they learn 
to accommodate themselves to his ways of life. 
There is no evidence that cats have any sense of 
number, or that any of them in a wild state make 
any effort to provide shelter for themselves or 
construct a refuge from their enemies, though 
the Leopard will make use of a cave as a lair. 
In matters requiring intelligence and coopera- 
tion, such rodents as the Beaver, or even the 
Squirrel, are far beyond the feline carnivora in 
sagacity and acquired or inherited ingenuity. 
Except the Stoat, which sometimes hunts in 
packs, no species of the carnivora yet dealt with 
in this work combines to hunt its prey, or for 
defertse against enemies. Each for itself is the 
rule, and even among the less-specialised flesh- 
eating animals of the other groups it is only 
the Dog Tribe which seems to understand the 
principles of association for a common object. 



CHAPTER IV 
THE HTjENJS and AARD-WOLF 

IF every animal has its place in nature, we must suppose that the hyaena's business is to clear 
up the bones and such parts of the animal dead as the vultures and other natural ** under- 
takers" cannot devour. Hyaenas have very strong jaws, capable of crushing almost any 
bone. In prehistoric times they were common in England, and lived in the caves of Derbyshire 
and Devon. In these caves many bones were found quite smashed up, as if by some very large 
wild animal. It was supposed that this was done by bears — Dean Buckland said " by hyaenas." 
He procured a hyaena, kept it at his house, and fed it on bones. The smashed fragments he laid 
on the table at a scientific lecture beside the fragments from the caverns. The resemblance was 
identical, and the Dean triumphed. 



THE HYiENAS AND AARD-WOLF 



8i 



The hyaenas are carnivorous animals, with the 
front limbs longer than the hind. The tail is 
short, the colour spotted or brindled, the teeth and 
jaws of great strength. 

The Brown HviENA, or Strand-wolf, is an 
African species, with very long, coarse hair, reach- 
ing a length of lo inches on the back. It is not 
found north of the Zambesi ; and it is nocturnal, 
and fond of wandering along the shore, where 
it picks up crabs and dead fish. Young cattle, 
sheep, and lambs are also killed by it, and offal of 
all kinds devoured. 

The Spotted HViENA is a large and massive 
animal, the head and body being 4 feet 6 inches 
long without the tail. It is found all over Africa 
from Abyssinia and Senegal southwards. A few 
are left in Natal. It is believed to be the same 
as the cave-hyaena of Europe. By day it lives 
much in the holes of the aard-vark (ant-bear) ; by 
night it goes out, sometimes in small bands, to 
seek food. It has a loud and mournful howl, 
beginning low and ending high. It also utters a horrible maniacal laugh when excited, which 
gives it the name of Laughing-hyaena. " Its appetite," says Mr. W. L. Sclater in his " South 
African Mammals," " is boundless. It is entirely carnivorous, but seems to prefer putrid and 
•decaying matter, and never kills an animal unless driven to do so by hunger. Sheep and donkeys 
are generally attacked at the belly, and the bowels torn out by its sharp teeth. Horses are also 
frequent objects of attack ; but in this case shackling is useful, as the horse, unable to escape, 
faces the hyaena, which instantly bolts. It is an excellent scavenger, and it has been known to 
kill and carry off young children, though the least attempt at pursuit will cause it to drop them. 
Many stories are told, too, of its attacking sleeping natives ; in this case it invariably goes for the 
man's face. Drummond states 




Fh»t9 kj A. S. RudUnd ^ Snu 

SPOTTED HYJEHA 

Tk§ largest of tki carriori'fuding animals. A South African 

ipedu 



that he iias seea many, men . 
who had been thus mutilated, 
granting noses, or with the 
^hole mouth and lips torn 
away. This is confirmed by 
other authors." Drummond 
gives an instance of seven 
<:ows being mortally injured in 
a single night by two hyaenas, 
which attacked them and bit 
off the udders. Poisoned meat 
is the only means to get rid of 
this abominable animal. 

Sir Samuel Baker says : 
" I can safely assert that the 
bone-cracking power of this 
animal is extraordinary. I 
cannot say that it exceeds the 
Jion or tiger in the strength 




Ph%u bj Ji. Sy RudUnd &» Smt 

SPOTTED HYiENA 

TAijatus of tii hy^tna art specially made for cracking hones, TJkej will amatk the tkigk-hom 

of a buffalo 



82 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




/*•!• fy L. MtdUndy F.Z.S.] iNtrth FlncMf 

STRIPED HYiENA 
TUt is tkt kystma of Nonktrn Africa^ FaJatitu, and ln£a 



of. its jaws; but diey will 
leave bones unbroken which 
a hyaena will crack in halves. 
Its powers of digestion are 
unlimited. It will swallow 
and digest a knuckle-bone 
without giving it a crunch, 
and will track the thigh-bone 
of a buffalo to obtain the 
marrow, and swallow either 
end immediately after. . . . 
I remember that once a 
hyaena came into our tent at 
night. But this was merely a 
friendly reconnaissance, to see 
if any delicacy, such as our 
shoes, or a saddle, or anything 
that smelt of leather, were 
lying about. It was bright 
moonlight, and the air was 



In portions of Abyssinia these 
Baker used to hear them crack- 



calm. There was nothing to disturb the stillness. I was awakened from sleep by a light touch 
on my sleeve, and my attention was directed by my wife to some object that had just quitted 
our tent. I took my rifle from beneath the mat on which 1 lay, and, after waiting for a few 
minutes sitting up in bed, saw a large form standing in the doorway preparatory to entering. 
Presently it walked in cautiously, and immediately fell dead, with a bullet between its eyes. 
It proved to be a very large hyaena, an old and experienced depredator, as it bore countless 
scars of encounters with other strong biters of its race." 

The Striped HviENA is found in India as well as in Africa, 
animals are so numerous that on the Nile tributaries Sir Samuel 
ing the bones after supper every 
night just as they had been thrown 
by the Arabs within a few feet of the 
deserted table. In this way they are 
useful scavengers. 

The Aard-wolf 

This small African hyaena-like 
creature stands in a family by itself 
The animal is like a small striped 
hyaena, with a pointed muzzle, longer 
ears, and a kind of mane. It is com- 
mon all through South and East 
Africa, where it lives on carrion, white 
ants, and lambs and kids. It has not 
the strong jaws and teeth of the dog or ''*•'• *' ^- ^- '^"'"""' ^ ^•"' 

^ , ,•.,!. . t ^ Tkt aard-wolf itandt in a family by itulf. It is allied to tit kyttnaty but is afar- 

monly hunt and kill it with fox-temers. "^ fcebUr animal 





L 



Phtt h Sfw r*rk Zfltltat Stcittj 



_J 



YOUNG GREY WOLF 



TkMgrtj wolf of North Ameriea^ wUck once preytd mainly on young Usen ca/vety it now aformdakU entmy to tht inertasing flocks of skeep 

snd ktrM of cattle in thi north and wnt 

83 




CHAPTER V 

THE DOG FAMILY 

THE tribe now treated is called the Dog Family, and 
rightly so, for our domestic dogs are included in 
the group, which comprises the Wolves, Dogs, 
Jackals, Wild Dogs, and Foxes. Their general characters 
are too familiar to need description, but it should be noted 
that the foxes differ from the dogs in having contracting 
pupils to the eye (which in bright sun closes like a cat's 
to a. mere slit), and some power of climbing. The origin 
of the domestic dog is still unsettled. 

The Wolf 

This great enemy of man and his dependents — the 
creature against the ravages of which almost all the early 
races of Europe had to combine, either in tribes, villages, 
or principalities, to protect their children, themselves, and 
their cattle — was formerly found all over the northern 
hemisphere, both in the Old and New Worlds. In India 
it is rather smaller, but equally fierce and cunning, though, 
as there are no long winters, it does not gather in packs. 
It is still so common in parts of the Rocky Mountains 
that the cattle and sheep of the ranch-holders and wild 
game of the National Yellowstone Park suffer severely. In Switzerland the ancient organisations 
of wolf clubs in the cantons are still maintained. In Brittany the Grand Louvetier is a govem- 
•ment official. Every very hard winter wolves from the Carpathians and Russia move across the 
frozen rivers of Europe even to the forests of the Ardennes and of Fontainebleau. In Norway 
they ravage the reindeer herds of the Lapps. Only a few years ago an artist, his wife, and serv- 
ant were all attacked on their way to BudaF>est, in Hungary, and the man and his wife killed. 
The last British wolf was killed in 1680 by Cameron of Lochiel. Wolves are common in Pales- 
tine, Persia, and India. 

Without going back over the well-known history of the species, we will give some anecdotes 
of the less commonly known exploits of these fierce and dangerous brutes. Mr. Kipling's 
*' Jungle Book" has given us an " heroic" picture of the life of the Indian wolves. There is a 
great deal of truth in it. Even the child-stealing by wolves is very probably a fact, for native 
opinion is unanimous in crediting it. Babies laid down by their mothers when working in the 
fields are constantly carried off and devoured by them, and stories of their being spared and 
suckled by the she-wolves are very numerous. 

Indian wolves hunt in combination, without assembling in large packs. The following is a 
remarkable instance, recorded by General Douglas Hamilton : " When returning with a friend 
from a trip to the mountain caves of EUora, we saw a herd of antelope near a range of low rocky 
hills ; and as there was a dry nullah, or watercourse, we decided on having a stalk. While creep- 
ing up the nullah, we noticed two animals coming across the plain on our left. We took them 
at first fo! leopards, but then saw that they were wolves. When they were about 500 yards from 

84 



Vn%u br SiH»is.ii€ Phtt; C*., Pmrttn'a Urttn 

A GROWING CUB 

Note koto the wolf cub dcuelopi the long pasterns^ 
large feet^ and long jaw before its body grows its 
proportion 




Photo by Ottomar Anschiitz, Berlin. 

WOLF FROM CENTRAL EUROPE. 
The last persons recorded as killed by these animals were an artist and his wife travelling in Hungary. 



THE DOG FAMILY 



85 




rh»f bf S(h»UttU PJut: C».] iParsw** Grttn 

WOLF CUBS 

Theu are evidently the Joster-brothen of Romulus and Remus 



the antelope, they lay down 
quietly. After about ten 
minutes or so, the smaller of 
the two got up and trotted 
off to the rocky hills, and 
suddenly appeared on the 
ridge, running backwards and 
forwards like a Scotch collie 
dog. The larger wolf, as soon 
as he saw that the antelope 
were fully occupied in watch- 
ing his companion, got up 
and came as hard as he could 
gallop to the nullah. Un- 
fortunately he saw us and 
bolted; and his companion, 
seeing there was something 
wrong, did the same. Now, 
it is evident that these 
wolves had regularly planned 

this attack. One was to occupy the attention of the antelope, the other to steal up the water- 
course and dash into the midst of them. At another time a brother-officer of mine was stalking 
a herd of antelope which were feeding down a grassy valley, when suddenly a wolf got up before 
him, and then another and then another, until fourteen wolves rose out of the grass. They were 
extended right across the valley in the shape of a fishing-net or jelly-bag, so that as soon as the 
herd had got well into the jelly-bag they would have rushed on the antelope, and some must have 
fallen victims to their attack." They have been known to join in the chase of antelopes by dogs. 
Captain Jackson, of the Nizam's service, let his dogs course an antelope fawn. A wolf jumped 
up, joined the dogs, and all three seized the fawn together. He then came up, whipped off the 
dogs and the wolf, and secured the fawn, which did not seem hurt. The wolf immediately sat 
down and began to howl at the loss of his prey, and in a few moments made a dash at the officer, 
but when within a few yards thought better of it, and recommenced howling. This brought 
another wolf to his assistance. Both howled and looked very savage, and seemed inclined to 
make another dash at the antelope. But the horse-keepers came up, and the wolves retired. 

The Indian wolf, if a male, stands about 26 inches high at the shoulder. The length of 
head and body is 37 inches ; tail, 17 inches. 

The same species practically haunts the whole of the world north of the Himalaya. It varies 
in colour from almost black to nearly pure white. In the Hudson Bay fur-sales every variety 
of colour between these may be seen, but most are of a tawny brindle. The male grows to a 
very great size. One of the largest ever seen in Europe was for years at the London Zoo. It 
stood 6 feet high when on its hind legs, and its immense head and jaws seemed to occupy One- 
third of the space from nose to tail. Horses are the main prey of the Northern Wolf. It will 
kill any living creature, but horse-flesh is irresistible. It either attacks by seizing the flank and 
throwing the animal, or bites the hocks. The biting power is immense. It will tear a solid mass 
of flesh at one grip from the buttock of a cow or horse. In the early days of the United States, 
when Audubon was making his first trip up the head-waters of the Missouri, flesh of all kinds 
was astonishingly abundant on the prairies. Buffalo swarmed, and the Indians had any quantity 
of buffalo meat for the killing. Wolves of very large size used to haunt the forts and villages, 
and were almost tame, being well fed and comfortable. Far different was the case even near 
St. Petersburg at the same period. A traveler in 1840 was chased by a pack of wolves so 



86 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




iNorth Ftriihttf 



n»t» bj L. Midland^ F.Z.S/} 

WHITE WOLF 

fVhtte wo/vet are quite common in North America, Recently ttvo 
xtfAite wolves were brought to the Zoological Gardemfrom Ruuia 



closely that when the sledge-horses reached the 
post-house and rushed into the stable, the doors 
of which were open, seven of the wolves rushed 
in after them. The driver and traveler leaped 
from the sledge just as it reached the building, 
and horses and wolves rushed past them into it 
The men then ran up and closed the doors. 
Having obtained guns, they opened the roof, 
expecting to see that the horses had been killed. 
Instead all seven wolves were slinking about be- 
side the terrified horses. All were killed without 
resistance. 

In Siberia and Russia the wolves in winter 
are literally starving. Gathering in packs, they 
haunt the roads, and chase the sledges with their 
unfaltering gallop. Seldom in these days does a human life fall victim; but in very hard 
winters sledge-horses are often killed, and now and then a peasant. Rabies is very common 
among wolves. They then enter the villages, biting and snapping at every one. Numbers of 
patients are sent yearly from Russia and Hungary to the Pasteur Institutes, after being bitten by 
rabid wolves. In Livonia, in 1823, it was stated that the following animals had been killed by 
wolves: 15,182 sheep, 1,807 oxen, 1,841 horses, 3,270 goats. 4,190 pigs, 703 dogs, and numbers 
of geese and fowls. They followed the Grand Army from Russia to Germany in 181 2, and 
restocked the forests of Europe with particularly savage wolves. It is said that in the retreat 
from Moscow twenty-four French soldiers, with their arms in their hands, were attacked, killed, 
and eaten by a pack of wolves. 

From very early times special breeds of dogs have been trained to guard sheep against the 
attacks of wolves. Some of these were intended to defend the flock on the spot, others to run 
down the wolves in the open. The former are naturally bred to be very large and heavy ; the 
latter, though they must be strong, are light and speedy. Of the dogs which guard the flocks 
several races still survive. Among the most celebrated are those of Albania and the mountain- 
ous parts of Turkey, and the wolf-dogs of Tibet, generally called Tibetan Bloodhounds. The 
Tartar shepherds on the steppes near the Caucasus also keep a very large and ferocious breed of 
dog. All these are of the mastiff type, but have long, thick hair. When the shepherds of 
Albania or Mount Rhodope are driving their flocks along the mountains to the summer pastures, 
they sometimes travel a distance of 200 miles. During this march the dogs act as flankers and 

scouts by day and night, and do battle with the 
wolves, which know quite well the routes along 
which the sheep usually pass, and are on the 
lookout to pick up stragglers or raid the 
flock. The Spanish shepherds employ a large 
white shaggy breed of dog as guards against 
wolves. These dogs both lead the sheep and 
bring up the rear in the annual migration of 
the flocks to and from the summer pastures. 
In the west of America, now that sheep-ranch- 
ing on a large scale has been introduced, wolf- 
dogs are bred to live entirely with the sheep. 
They are suckled when puppies by the ewes 
instead of by their own mothers, and become, 
as it were, a part of the flock. 






^^^'WiflU- 



Ph,t, by S<h»lastk Ph»t: C] iParsw'i Grttm 

PRAIRIE-WOLF, OR COYOTE 
This is the small, grey, tUcUy furred species found on the praiHes 



THE DOG FAMILY 



87 



President Theodore Roosevelt gives an interesting account of wolf-coursing in Russia^ in an 
article contributed to " The Encyclopaedia of Sport " (Lawrence & BuUen). " In Russia the sport 
is a science," he writes. " The princes and great landowners who take part in it have their 
hunting-equipages equipped perfectly to the smallest detail. Not only do they follow wolves in 
the open, but they capture them and let them out before dogs, like hares in a closed coursing- 
meeting. The huntsman follows his hounds on horseback. (These hounds are the Borzoi, 
white giant greyhounds, now often seen in England.) Those in Russia show signs of reversion 
to the type of the Irish wolf-hound, dogs weighing something like 100 lbs., of remarkable power, 
and of reckless and savage temper. Now three or four dogs are run together. They are not 
expected to kill the wolf, but merely to hold him. . . . The Borzois can readily overtake 




rh9U by Ottomar jtnu Wix] 



"THE WOLF WITH PRIVY PAW 

TAe photograph shows adaurably the s^nUitg goH and long stride of the wolf 



ihtritn 



and master partly grown wolves, but a full-grown dog-wolf, in good trim, will usually gallop away 
from them." 

A number of these Borzoi dogs have been imported into America, and are used to course 
wolves in the Western States. But there professional wolf-hunters are employed to kill off the 
creatures near the ranches. One such hunter lives near President Roosevelt's ranch on the 
Little Missouri. His pack of large dogs will tear in pieces the biggest wolf without aid from 
the hunter. Of his own efforts in wolf-coursing he writes: "We generally started for the 
hunting-ground very early, riding across the open country in a widely spread line of dogs and 
men. If we put up a wolf, we simply went at him as hard as we knew how. Young wolves, or 
those which had not attained their full strength, were readily overtaken, and the pack would 
handle a she-wolf quite readily. A big dog-wolf, or even a full-grown and powerful she-wol^ 



88 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




ehm tj f, r*\ ,^f. f. 



RUSSIAN WOLF 



TAis is a mast charaaeriuic photograph of om of the to^alUd **greyh4m,id wolvu " of tht 

Rutsiam forests 



offered an altogether different 
problem. Frequently we came 
upon one after it had gorged 
itself on a colt or calf. Under 
such conditions, if the dogs 
had a good start, they ran into 
the wolf and held him. . . . 
Packs composed of nothing 
but specially bred and trained 
greyhounds of great size and 
power made a better showing. 
Under favourable circum- 
stances three or four of these 
dogs readily overtook and 
killed the largest wolf. . . . 
Their dashing courage and 
&roci<His figixting rapacity 
were marvelous, and in this 
respect I was never able to see 
much difference between the 
smooth and rough — the 
Scotch deerhound or the 
greyhound type." 
The litter is from four to nine. There was one of six 



[Hifh^ur^ 



Wolf cubs are born in April or May. 
a few years ago at the Zoological Gardens at The Hague, pretty little creatures like collie puppies, 
but quarrelsome and rough even in their play. When born, they were covered with reddish- 
white down ; later the coat became woolly and dark. 

The European wolf's method of hunting when in chase of deer is by steady pursuit Its 
speed is such and its endurance so great that it can overtake any animal. But there is no doubt 
that the favourite food of the wolf is mutton, which it can always obtain without risk on the wild 
mountains of the Near East, if once the guardian dogs are avoided. M. Tschudi, the naturalist 
of the Alps, gives a curious account of the assemblage of wolves in Switzerland in 1799. They 
had, as it is mentioned above, followed the armies from Russia. Having tasted human flesh, they 
preferred it to all other, and even dug up the corpses. The Austrian, French, and Russian 
troops penetrated in 1799 into the highest mountain valleys of Switzerland, and fought sangui- 
nary battles there. Hundreds of corpses were left on the mountains and in the forests, which 
acted as bait to the wolves, which were not destroyed for some years. 

Wolves will interbreed with dogs readily, which the red fox will not. The progeny do not 
bark, but howl. The Eskimo cross their dogs with wolves to give them strength. 

The Coyote, or Prairie-Wolf 

Besides the large gray wolf, a smaller and less formidable animal is common on the prairies 
and mountains of western North America. This animal is known as the Coyote. It takes 
the place of the hyaena as a scavenger, but has some of the habits of the fox. It catches birds 
and buck-rabbits, and feeds on insects, as well as small rodents like prairie-dogs and mice. Its 
melancholy howls make night hideous on the northern prairies, and it is the steady foe of all 
young creatures, such as the fawns of prong-horned antelope and deer. Its skin, like that of 
most northern carnivora, is thick and valuable for fur wraps. The coyotes assemble in packs like 
jackals. 

In the National Park in the Yellowstone Valley gray wolves and coyotes are the only 



THE DOG FAMILY 



89 



animals which it is absolutely necessary to destroy. As the deer and antelope and other game 
increased under State protection, the wolves and coyotes drew towards a quarter where there 
were no hunters and a good supply of food. It was soon found that the increase of the game 
was checked. The coyotes used to watch the hinds when about to drop their calves, and 
usually succeeded in killing them. The large gray wolves killed the hinds themselves, and gener- 
ally made life most unpleasant for the dwellers in this paradise. Orders were issued to kill off all 
the wolves by any means. Poison was found to be the best remedy ; but in the winter, when all 
the game descended into the valleys, the wolves found so much fresh food in the carcases of the 
animals they killed for themselves that they would not eat very eagerly of the poisoned baits. 
The coyotes were killed off fairly closely, as they are less able to obtain living prey ; but the 
gray wolves are constantly reinforced from the mountains, and are a permanent enemy to be 
coped with. 

A curious instance of change of habit in wolves on the American prairies was recently noted 
in the Spectator. Formerly they followed the caravans ; now they come down to the great 
transcontinental railways, and haunt the line to obtain food. Each train which crosses the prairie 
is, like a ship, full of provisions. Three meals a day take place* regularly, and these are not 
stinted The black cooks throw all the waste portions — beef-bones, other bones, stale bread, and 
trimmings — overboard. The wolves have learnt that the passing of a train means food, and 
when they hear one they gallop down to the line, and wait like expectant dogs in the hope 
of picking up a trifle. The coyotes come close to the metals, and sit like terriers, with their 
sharp noses pricked up. The big gray wolves also appear in the early morning, standing on the 
snow, over which the chill wind of winter blows, gaunt and hungry images of winter and famine. 




fh*f iy OtUmar jinscbulx] 

WOLF OF THE CARPATHIANS 

TAit tvolf is a shorter and more heavily built specimen than the Russian tvolf on the previous pagt 



[BgrUn 



90 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Some years ago experiments were made at the 
Regent's Park Zoological Gardens to ascertain if there 
were any foundation for the old legends that wolves 
feared the sound of stringed instruments such as the 
violin. Every one will remember the story of the 
fiddler pursued by wolves. It is said that as the pack 
overtook him he broke a string of his instrument, and 
that the sudden noise of the parting cord caused the 
pack to stand still for a minute, and so enabled him to 
reach a tree, which he climbed. Further, that when 
he improved on the hint so given, and played his fiddle, 
the wolves all sat still ; when he left off, they leapt up 
and tried to reach him. Experiments with the Zoo 
wolves showed that there was no doubt whatever that 
„, ^ ^ , r» .. . the low minor chords played on a violin cause the 

Phtfb) L. Midland, F.Z.S.^ [Ntrth ttnchny ^ •' 

INDIAN WOLF greatest fear and agitation in wolves, both European 

This photograph thowi the Indian 'woif alarmed. It has a and Indian. The instrument was first played behind 

reputation for stealing children as 'well as IdlRng tattle ^h^ Jen of an Indian Wolf, and OUt of sight At the 

first sound the wolf began to tremble, erected its fur, dropped its tail between its legs, and crept 
uneasily across its den. As the sound grew louder and more intense, the wolf trembled so violently, 
and showed such physical evidence of being dominated by excessive fright, that the keeper begged 
that the experiment might be discontinued, or the creature would have a fit. A large European 
wolf is described in " Life at the Zoo " as having exhibited its dislike of the music in a 

• different way. It set up all its 
fur till it looked much larger 
than its ordinary size, and drew 
back its lips until all the white 
teeth protruding from the red 
gums were shown. It kept 
silent till the violin-player 
approached it ; then it flew at 
him with a ferocious growl, 
and tried to seize him. 

There are iastances of 
wolves having been quite suc- 
cessfully tamed, and develop- 
ing great affection for their 
owners. They are certainly 
more dog-like than any fox ; 
yet even the fox has been 
tamed so far as to become a 
domesticated animal for the 
lifetime of one particular indi- 
vidual. An extraordinary 
instance of this was lately 
given in Country Life, with a 
photograph of the fox. It 
was taken when a cub, and 
brought up at a large country 
house with a number of dogs. 




Pluf «7 Otfmar Antthutsc] 



WOLF'S HEAD 



dt vtry fau study of the head, jaws, and teeth of a female wolf, 

wsuch laq^er 



IBtrlin 



The head of the wsaie it 



THE DOG FAMILY 



9' 




Pboto by Scholastic Photo. Co.] 



sGrun 



RUSSIAN WOLF 

Not4 tb4 €Xprtsum of f tar and ferocity on the fact of this wolf; also tbt taormotuly p&wtrfuljaws 



Among these were three 
terriers, with which it made 
friends. There were plenty 
of wild foxes near, some of 
which occasionally laid up 
in the laurels in a shrub- 
bery not far from the 
house. These laurels were, 
in fact, a fairly safe find for 
a fox. It was the particular 
sport of the terriers to be 
taken to " draw " this bit of 
cover, and to chase out any 
fox in it. On these ex- 
peditions the tame fox 
invariably accompanied 
them, and took an active 
part in the chase, pursuing 
the wild fox as far as the 
terriers were able to main- 
tain the hunt. 

In Central Asia the 
wolves lie out singly on 
Uie steppes during the 

summer, and feed on the young antelopes and the lambs and kids of the Tartar's flocks. The 
Kirghiz organise wolf-killing parties, to which as many mounted men and dogs come as can be 
brought together. In order to aid the dogs, the Tartars often employ eagles trained to act like 
falcons, "yvhich sit on the arm of the owner. As the eagle is too heavy to be carried for any time 
in this way, a crutch is fastened to the left side of the saddle, on which the bearer of the falcon 
rests his arm. When a wolf is sighted, the eagle is loosed, and at once flies after the wolf, and 
overtakes it in a short time, striking at its head and eyes with its talons, and buffeting it with its 
wings. This attack so disconcerts the wolf that it gives time for the dogs to come up and seize it. 

The habits of the Siberian wolf are rather different from those in West Russia, and the set- 
tlers and nomad Tartars of Siberia are far more adventurous and energetic in defending themselves 
against its ravages than the peasants of European Russia. Being mounted, they also have a 
great advantage in the pursuit. The result is that Siberian wolves seldom appear in large packs, 
and very rarely venture to attack man. Yet the damage they do to the flocks and herds which 
constitute almost the only property of the nomad tribes is very severe. 

Both the Russians and Siberians believe that when a she-wolf is suckling her young she 
carefully avoids attacking flocks in the neighbourhood of the place where the cubs lie, but that 
if she be robbed of her whelps she revenges herself by attacking the nearest flock. On this ac- 
count the Siberian peasants rarely destroy a litter, but hamstring the young wolves and then 
catch them when partly grown, and kill them for the sake of their fur. Among the ingenious 
methods used for shooting wolves in Siberia is that of killing them from sledges. A steady horse 
is harnessed to a sledge, and the driver takes his seat i-n front as usual. Behind sit two men 
armed with guns, and provided with a small pig, which is induced to squeak often and loudly. 
In the rear of the sledge a bag of hay is trailed on a long rope. Any wolf in the forest near 
which hears the pig concludes that it is a young wild one separated from its mother. Seeing the 
hay-bag trailing behind the sledge in the dusk, it leaps out to seize it, and is shot by the passen- 
gers sitting on the back seat of the sledge. 



92 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Ph^» bf L. Mtdland^ F.Z.S"] {N^rth FinMtf 

NORTH AFRICAN JACKAL 
This it the common jackal of Catro and Lower Egyft 



The Jackal 
'Of the Wild Canine Family, the Jackal 
is the next in numbers and importance to the 
wolves. Probably in the East it is the most 
numerous of any. In India, Egypt, and Syria 
it regularly haunts the outskirts of cities, and 
lives on refuse. In the Indian plains wounded 
animals are also killed by the jackals. At night 
the creatures assemble in packs, and scour the 
outskirts of the cities. Horrible are the 
bowlings and weird the cries of these hungry 
packs. In Ceylon they live in the hills and 
open country like foxes, and kill the hares. 
When taken young jackals can be tamed, and 
have all the manners of a dog. They wag 
their tails, fawn on their master, roll over and 
stick up their paws, and could probably be 
domesticated in a few generations, were it 
worth while. They eat fruits and vegetables, 
such as melons and pumpkins, eagerly. 
In Africa two species are found — the Black-backed Jackal and the Striped Jackal ; the 

lormer is the size of a large English fox. The young jackals are born in holes or earths ; six 

seems to be the usual number of puppies. They have nearly always a back door by which they 

can escape ; this is just large enough for the puppies to squeeze through, whatever their size. 

When fox-terriers are put into the earth, the jackal puppies fly out of their back doors, through 

which, as a rule, the terriers are unable to follow them. Should there be no one outside, the 

puppies race out on to the veldt as hard as they can go. This jackal is terribly destructive to 

sheep and lambs in the Colony. A reward of 

$i.8o per tail is paid to the Kaflirs for killing 

them. The Side-striped Jackal is a Central 

African species, said to hunt in packs, to inter- 
breed with domestic dogs, and to be most 

easily tamed. 

Both in India and South Africa the jackal 

hci:r been found to be of some service to the 

white man by providing him with a substitute 

for the fox to hunt. It has quite as remarkable 

powers of endurance as the fox, though it does 

not fight in the same determined way when 

the hounds overtake it. But it is not easy to 

estimate the courage of a fox when in diffi- 
culties. The writer has known one, when 

coursed by two large greyhounds, to disable 

both almost instantaneously. One was bitten 

across the muzzle, the other through the foot. 

The fox escaped without a bite from either. In 

India the hounds used are drafts from English 

packs. The hot weather does not suit them, 

and they are seldom long-lived ; but while they 

are in health they will run a jackal across the 




Ph»t9 bf A. S. Rudland ^ S»ni 

INDIAN 



Thtt Indian jackal might be sifting for his ^r trait in Mr. Rudyard Kip» 
ling^s tale of the ** undertakers ** — the jackal ^ allij 



JACKAL 

Jt in , 

alligator, and adjutant 



THE DOG FAMILY 



93 



Indian plains as gaily as they would a 
fox over the Hampshire Downs. The 
meet is very early in the morning, as the 
scent then lies, and riding is not too 
great an exertion. The ground drawn 
is not the familiar English covert, but 
fields, watercourses, and old buildings. 
A strong dog-jackal goes away at a 
great pace, and as the ground is open the 
animal is often in view for the greater 
part of the run ; but it keeps well ahead 
of the hounds often for three or four 
miles, and if it does not escape into a 
hole or ruin is usually pulled down by 
them. Major-General R. S. S. Baden- 
Powell has written and illustrated an 
amusing account of his days with the 
fox-hounds of South Africa hunting 
jackals. The local Boer farmers, rough, 
unkempt, and in ragged trousers, used 
to turn up smoking their pipes to enjoy 
the sport with the smartly got-up English 
oflRcers. When once the game was 
found, they were just as excited as the 
Englishmen, and on their Boer ponies 
rode just as hard, and with perhaps 
more judgment. 





Ph»f by L. Midland^ F.Z.S."} [Strth Flmhlty 

TURKISH JACKAL 

Tkit Jackal is cemmoa in both Turkey in Europe and in Ada. Ne^ • 
Constantinople it feeds largely on the boSes buried in the cewseteries at 
Scutari 



Ph»f kf A, S. Rudland &• S»hs 

MANED WOLF 

ji South American animal; its coat is a chestnutn^ed 



Jackals were said to have increased in 
South Africa during the Boer war. The 
fighting in that great struggle so far ar- 
rested farming operations that the war usually 
maintained on all beasts which destroy cattle 
or sheep was allowed to drop. In parts of 
the more hilly districts both the jackal and 
the leopard reappeared where they had not 
been common for years, necessitating new 
efforts for destroying these troublesome 
enemies of the farmer. 

The Maned Wolf 

This IS by far the largest of several 
peculiar South American species of the Dog 
Family which we have not room to mention. 
It occurs in Paraguay and adjoining regions, 
and is easily distinguishable by its long limbs 
and large ears. It is chestnut-red in colour, 
with the lower part of the legs black, and is 
solitary in its habits. 



94 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fhf hj A, S. RudUnd &» S»n$ 

WILD DOG 
Tkiti animals range from the plains of InSa and Burma to the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia, 
They hunt in small packs^ usually by day^ and are very destructive to game^ but seldom attack 
domestic animals 



The Wild Dog of Africa. 
OR Cape Hunting-dog 

This is a most interest- 
ing creature, differing from 
the true dogs in having 
only four toes on both fore 
and hind feet, and in being 
spotted like a hysna. 
These dogs are the scourge 
of African game, hunting 
in packs. Long of limb 
and swift of foot, incessantly 
restless, with an overpower- 
ing desire to snap and bite 
from mere animal spirits, the 
Cape wild dog, even when 
in captivity and attached to 
its master, is an intractable 
beast. In its native state it 
kills the farmers' cattle and sheep and the largest antelopes. A pack has been seen to kill and 
devour to the last morsel a large buck in fifteen minutes. Drummond says : " It is a marvelous 
sight to see a pack of them hunting, drawing cover after cover, their sharp bell-like note ringing 
through the air, while a few of the fastest of their number take up their places along the 
expected line of the run, the wind, the nature of the ground, and the habits of the game being 
all taken into consideration with wonderful skill." The same writer says that he has seen 
them dash into a herd of cattle feeding not a hundred yards from the house, drive out a 
beast, disappear over a rising ground, kill it, and pick its bones before a horse could be saddled 

and ridden to the place. 



The Indian Wild Dogs 

Mr. Rudyard Kiplingfs 
stories of the " Dhole," the red 
dogs of the Indian jungle, have 
made the world familiar with 
these ferocious and wonderfully 
bold wild dogs. There is very 
little doubt that they were found 
in historic times in Asia Minor. 
Possibly the surviving stories of 
the " Gabriel hounds " and other 
ghostly packs driving deer alone 
in the German and Russian 
forests, tales which remain even 
in remote parts of England, are 
a survival of the days when the 
wild dogs lived in Europe. At 
present there is one species of 
long-haired wild dog in West 
Central Siberia. These dogb 




Pb»f hj ScbtUittt Pbtf. C«.] 



DINGO 



iParstm^t Grt$n 



TAe wild dog of Australia, It was found there by the first discoverers^ but was probably 
introduced from elsewhere 




95 



96 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Ph9f bj A, S, Rudland &• S»nt 

CAPE HUNTING-DOG 

Tfut aniwud hunts in packs. It is very active and most dcstructivt to larg* gamt 
ofwianj kinds 



killed nearly all the deer in the large 
forests near Omsk some years ago. 
Across the Himalaya there are several 
species, one of them as far east as 
Burma ; but the most famous are the 
Red Dogs of the Deccan. They 
frequent both the jungles and the 
hills ; but their favourite haunt is the 
uplands of the Indian Ghats. They 
are larger than a jackal, much 
stronger, and hunt in packs. They 
have only ten teeth on each side, 
instead of eleven, as in the other 
dogs and foxes. There is no doubt 
that these fierce hunting-dogs actually 
take prey from the tiger's jaws, and 
probably attack the tiger itself. They 
will beset a tiger at any time, and the latter seems to have learnt from them an instinctive fear 
of dogs. Not so the leopard, which, being able to climb, has nothing to fear even from the 
*' dhole." A coffee-planter, inspecting his grounds, heard a curious noise in the forest bordering 
his estate. On going round the corner of a thick bush, he almost trod on the tail of a tiger 
standing with his back towards him. He silently retreated, but as he did so he saw that there 
was a pack of wild dogs a few paces in front of the tiger, yelping at him, and making the 
peculiar noise which had previously attracted his attention. Having procured a rifle, he 
returned with some of his men to the spot. The tiger was gone, but they disturbed a large 
pack of wild dogs feeding on the body of a stag. This, on examination, proved to have been 
killed by the tiger, for there were the marks of the teeth in its neck. The dogs had clearly 
driven the tiger from his prey and appropriated it. The dread of the tiger for these wild dogs 
was discovered by the sportsmen of the Nilgiri Hills, and put to a good use. They used to 
collect scratch packs and hunt up tigers in the woods. The tiger, thinking they were the 
dreaded wild pack, would either leave altogether or scramble into a tree. As tigers never do 
this ordinarily, it shows how wild dogs get on their nerves. 

Several South American wild dogs and foxes are included in the series with the wolves and 
jackals. Among these are Azara's Dog and the Raccoon-dog. These are commonly called 
foxes, though they have wolf-like skulls. 



The Dingo 

The only non-marsupial animal of Australia when the continent was discovered was the 
Wild Dog, or Dingo. Its origin is not known ; but as soon as the settlers' flocks and herds be- 
gan to increase its ravages were most serious, though doubtless some of the havoc with which it 
was accredited was due in a great measure to runaways from domestication. Anyhow, in the 
dingo the settlers found the most formidable enemy with which they had to contend, and vigor- 
ous measures were taken to reduce their numbers and minimise their ravages, so that by now 
they are nearly exterminated in Van Diemen's Land and rare on the mainland of Australia. 

It is a fine, bold dog, of considerable size, generally long-coated, of a light tan colour, and 
with pricked-up ears. It is easily tamed, and some of those kept in this country have made af- 
fectionate pets. Puppies are regularly bred and sold at the Zoological Gardens. The animal 
has an elongated, flat head which is carried high ; the fur is soft, and the tail bushy. In the wild 
state it is very muscular and fierce. 



THE DOG FAMILY 



97 



THE FOXES 

Foxes form a very well-marked group. They have very pointed muzzles, strong though 
slightly built bodies, very fine thick fur, often beautifully coloured and very valuable, bushy tails, 
pricked-up ears, and eyes with pupils which contract by day into a mere slit. They are quite 
distinct from dogs (although wolves are not), and will not interbreed, though stories are told to 
the contrary. The smell of a fox is disgusting to a dog, and quite sufficient to distinguish it. 

If the present writer takes a simpler view of the kinds and species of foxes than that 
adopted by many naturalists, he must plead to a study of the subject on slightly different lines 
than those usually followed. The skins of all foxes are valuable, some more than others. But 
they are sent in hundreds of thousands, and from all parts of the northern hemisphere, to 
London to the great fur-sales. There these differences can be studied as they can be studied 



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Ecm!L^l\vMBH^B^V4BIKi3^^F^^^^I^^^^ 



fhf bj C, Rtid] 



iff^tlHtto^ N. B, 



FOX CUBS 

Fox cubi are born jrom March 2 J till three weeks later, the time when young rabbi ti, their beitfood^ are wiost numerous 

nowhere else. As the habits and structure of foxes are much alike, allowing for difTerences 
of climate, and the discrepancies in size, not more than can be accounted for by abundance or 
scarcity of food, it seems pretty certain that these animals are some of the few, almost alone 
among mammals, showing almost every variety of colouring, from black to white, from splendid 
chameleon-red to salmon-pink, and many exquisite shades of brown, gray, and silver. At the 
Hudson Bay Company's sales you may see them all, and trace the differences and gradations over 
whole continents. The most important are those of North America. There the Red Canadian 
Fox, of a ruddier hue than brown, shades off into the yellow and gray Cross Fox of farther north. 
But of these there are many varieties. Then farther north still comes an area where red foxes, 
cross foxes, and black foxes are found. The black fox, when the fur is slightly sprinkled with 
white, is the famous Silver Fox. This and the black fox are also found in North Siberia 
and Manchuria. Farthest north we find the little stunted Arctic Foxes. In the Caucas^js 
and Central Asia large yellowish-red foxes live, and in Japan and China a very bright red 
variety. A small gray fox lives in Virginia, and is hunted with hounds descended from packs 



gS 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




MOUNTAIN-FOX 

In hilly countries the fox becomes a powerful and destructive animal ^ tilling not only gam9 

but lambs 



taken out before the American Revolution. India has 
its small Desert-foxes (" the little foxes that eat the 
grapes ") and the Bengal Fox. 

The value of the foxes as fur^bearing animals is 
immense. ' Only white, blue, and bhck skins seem to bt^ 
appreciated here. The black fox has been kno\sn 
to fetch $750 a skin. But in the Kast. fmm A sin 
Minor to China, red, gray, and 
yellow fox skins are the lininjj 
of every rich man's winter wraps. 
Splendid mixed robes are made 
by the Chinese by inserting por ■ 
tions of cross fox-skins into coats 
of cut sable, giving the idea that 
it is the fur of a new animal. 

The Common Fox, the 
foundation or type of all the 
above, is the best known carnivorous animal in this country. Abroad its habits do not 
greatly differ, except that, not being hunted much with hounds, it is less completely nocturnal. 
It drops its young in an earth early in April. Thither the vixen carries food till late in June, 
when the cubs come out, and often move to a wood or a corn-field. There they are still fed, 
but learn to do a little on their own account by catching mice and moles. By late September 
the hounds come cub-hunting, partly to kill off superfluous foxes, partly to educate the yoyng 
hounds, and to teach the foxes to fear them and to make them leave cover easily. Four or five 
cubs in a litter are commonly seen. The distance which a fox will run is extraordinary. The 
following is a true account of one of the most remarkable runs ever known. The hounds 
Were those of Mr. Tom Smith, master of the Hambledon Hunt. He was the man of whom 
another famous sportsman said that if he were a fox he should prefer to be hunted by a pack 
of hounds rather than by Tom Smith with a stick in his hand. The fox was found in a cover 
called Markwells, at one o'clock in the afternoon in December, near Petersfield. It crossed into 
Sussex, and ran into an earth in Graf ham Hill a little before dark. The fox had gone twenty- 
seven miles. The hounds had forty miles to go back to kennel that night, and three only 
found their way home four days afterwards. Dog-foxes assemble in considerable numbers 

when a vixen is about in spring, and 
at all times common foxes are sociable 
creatures, though not actually living 
in societies. Sometimes as many as 
five or six are found in a single earth. 
Two years ago five foxes and a badger 
were found in one near Romford. 
They eat mice, beetles, rats, birds, 
game, poultry, and frogs. Their 
favourite food is rabbits. If there 
are plenty of these, they will not 
touch other game. They hunt along 
the railway-lines for dead birds 
killed by the telegraph-wires. In the 
New Forest they also go down to the 
shore and pick up dead fish. One in 
the writer's possession was shot when 




Fh»f by C. Rtid] 



[ff^ithaw^ S. B. 



LEICESTERSHIRE FOX 




Fhf by Otfrnmr jtmuhitK] 



TOO DIFFICULT! 



[Berlin 



Foxis (an easily climb trees with small projecting branches. One was found jj feet up a tree in Savtrnake Forest § but a branchless stump suck 

as that here shown no fox could climb 

99 



lOO THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




flff#^ 



Ph»f by ScMmstit Phtt; O.] 



Im 



ARCTIC FOX 

Changing hit coat 



\_Fmri*n*i Gftn 



In winter 



The Arctic Fox it one of the few animaii thawing different pham of colour ^ some being blue at all seasons, while others are white in winter and 

Mottled brownish in t 



carrying away a lamb from a sheepfold near the cliffs of Sidmouth, in Devon. The shepherd 
thought it was a marauding dog, and lay in wait with a gun. 

The Arctic Fox 
The Arctic Fox is somewhat different in habits from others. It is also much smaller than 
the red foxes. Its fur is almost as soft as eiderdown, and so thick that the cold does not pene- 
trate. In winter the whole coat changes colour, not gradually, but in patches. At the same 
time a dense growth of under-fur comes up on the body. In summer this is shed in patches, 
almost like loose felt. The foxes live in colonies, but are so hard put to it for food in the winter 
that they desert their homes to gather round whaling-ships or encampments. There they steal 
everything edible, from snow-shoe-thongs to seal-flesh. Blue foxes are bred and kept for the 
sake of their fur on some of the islands in Bering Sea. They are fed on the flesh of the seals 
killed on the neighbouring islands, and are, hke them, killed when their coat is in condition. 



Africa has a group of small 

Some of them 

Maholis and other 

Several are not more 

long; they are a 

but the eyes are very 
The Common 

over the whole of 

food is dates and 

but it is also fond 

eat mice and insects. 

original hero of the 

and the grapes. 

fennec, which is 

the Silver Fox, is 

Cape to as far 
:It is 23 inches 
.' mainly on insects 



The Fennecs 
foxes of its own. They have very large ears and dark eyes. 

remind us of the 
large-eyed lemuroids. 
than 9 or 10 inches 
whitish-khaki colour, 
dark and brilliant. 
Fennec is found 
Africa. Its favourite 
any sweet fruit, 
of eggs, and will 
It is probably the 
story of the fox 
The large-eared 
sometimes called 
found from the 

Fhtf hj A, S. RudUnd S» S*ns , ^ . 

FENNEC.FOX "^'^^ ^ Abyssmia. 

Remarkable for the great ir« of the ears. An African species. It$ ^^ng, and HveS 
sense of hearing is probably very acute and fruit. 




THE DOG FAMILY 



lOl 



DOMESTIC DOGS 

BY C. H. LANE 

The Dog, almost without exception, shows a marked liking for the society of human beings, 
and adapts itself to their ways more than any other animal. 

Fox-, Stag-, and Hare-hounds — the latter better known as Hariers and Beagles — have many 
points in common, much beauty of shape and colour, and great suitability for their work, though 
differing in some other particulars. 

Another group — Greyhounds, Whippets, Irish Wolf-hounds, Scottish Deer hounds, all of 
which come under the category of Gaze-hounds, or those which hunt by sight — are built for 
great speed, to enable them to cope with the fleet game they pursue. In the same group should 
be included the Borzoi, or Russian Wolf-hound, now very popular in this country, with some- 
thing of the appearance of the Scottish deer-hound about it as to shape, but with a finer, longer 
head, deeper body, more muscular limbs, and shaggier in the hair on body and tail. 

The Otter-hound is one of the most picturesque of all the hound tribe. This variety 
somewhat reminds one of a large and leggy Dandie Dinmont terrier, with a touch of the blood- 
hound, and is thought to have been originally produced from a cross between these or similar 
varieties. 

The Blood-hound is another, with much style and beauty of shape, colour, and character 
about it which cannot fail to favourably impress any beholder. The matches or trials which have 
of late years been held in different localities have been most interesting in proving its ability for 
tracking footsteps for long distances, merely following them by scent, some time after the persoa 
hunted started on the trail. By the kindness of my friend Mr. E. Brough, I am able to give as 
an illustration a portrait of what he considers the best blood-hound ever bred. 

Much valued by sportsmen with the gun are Pointers, so called from their habit of remain- 
ing in a fixed position when their quarry is discovered, eagerly pointing in its direction until the 
arrival of the guns. They are most often white, with liver, lemon, or black markings ; but occa- 
sionally self-colours, such as liver or black, are met with. They have been largely bred in the 




Pb»f fy F. H. Dtmhrtjf] 



iBritfl 



STAG-HOUND PUPPIES 
TAis gi'vet an interesting group of koundi in kennel 



102 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Ffft$ by T. fau] 



iBaitr Strttt 



west of England. I have 
been fortunate in obtaining 
one of Mr. E. C. Norrish's 
celebrated strain as a typical 
specimen for illustration. 

The Setter group, which 
comprises three varieties, are 
all useful and beautiful in 
their way. The English are 
usually white, with markings 
or tickings of blue, lemon, 
or black; they are rather 
long and narrow in the head, 
with bodies and sterns well 
feathered, and are graceful 
and active movers. Gordon 
setters, which are always 
black and tan in colour, and 
preferred without any white, 
are generally larger and 
stronger in build than the 
last-named. Irish setters are 
more on the lines of the 
English, being a rich tawny 



GREYHOUND 
ji typica/ specimtn of tAit elegant 'variey 

red in colour, rather higher on the leg^ with narrow skulls, glossy coats, feathered legs and 
stern, ears set low and lying back, and lustrous, expressive eyes. 

Retrievers may be divided into flat-coated and curly-coated. Both are usually black, 
but other colours are occasionally seen. The coats of the first-named are full, but without 
curl in them; while the latter have their bodies, heads, legs, thighs, and even tails covered 
with small close curls. The eyes of both should be dark, and the ears carried closely to the 
sides of the head. In an article dealing with retrievers, which appeared in the Comhill Maga- 
zine under the title of " Dogs which Earn their Living," the author writes : " There is not the 
slightest doubt that in the modern retrievers acquired habits, certainly one acquired habit, that 
of fetching dead and wounded game, are transmitted directly. The puppies sometimes retrieve 
without being taught, though with this they also combine a greatly improved capacity for further 
teaching. Recently a retriever was sent after a winged partridge which had run into a ditch. 
The dog followed it some way down the ditch, and presently came out with an old rusty tea- 
kettle, held in its mouth by the handle. The kettle was taken from the dog, amid much 
laughter ; then it was found that inside the kettle was the partridge ! The explanation was that 
the bird, when wounded, ran into the ditch, which was narrow. In the ditch was the old kettle, 
with no lid on. Into this the bird crept ; and as the dog could not get the bird out, it very 
properly brought out the kettle with the bird in it. Among dogs which earn their living, these 
good retrievers deserve a place in the front rank." The illustration shows a good flat-coated 
retriever at work. 

The Spaniel group is rather large, including the English and Irish water-spaniels, the 
former an old-fashioned, useful sort, often liver or roan, with some white or other markings 
and a good deal of curl in the coat and on the ears. His Irish brother is always some shade of 
liver in colour, larger in the body and higher on the leg, covered with a curly coat, except on the 
tail, which is nearly bare of hair, with a profusion of hair on the top of the head, often hanging 
down over the eyes, giving a comical appearance, and increasing his Hibernian expression. They 




Fhu» ^ C Rtid} 



RETRIEVER 

TAis represents ajlct'coated retriever at work, and is remarkably true to Rfi 

TO3 



Ikfith^w^ S, B 



I04 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



make lively, affectionate companions and 
grand assistants at waterfowl-shooting. 

Clumber Spaniels are always a 
creamy white, with lemon or light tan 
markings, and are rather slow and de- 
liberate in their movements, but have a 
stylish, high-class look about them. 

Sussex Spaniels are also rather heavy 
in build and of muscular frame, but can do 
a day's work with most others. They are 
a rich copper-red in colour, with low 
short bodies, long feathered ears, full eyes 
of deep colour, and are very handsome. 

Black Spaniels should be glossy 
raven-black in colour, with strong 
muscular bodies on strong short legs, 
long pendulous ears, and expressive eyes. 
Good specimens are in high favour, and 
command long prices. I regret I cannot 
find room for an illustration of this breed, 
so deservedly popular. 

Cockers, which are shorter in the back, higher on the leg, and lighter in weight, being 
usually under 25 lbs., are very popular, full of life, and very attractive in appearance. 

Basset-hounds, both rough-and smooth-coated, are probably the most muscular dogs in 
existence of their height, with much dignity about them. In the Sporting Teams at the 
Royal Agricultural Hall there were some thirteen or fifteen teams of all kinds of sporting 
dogs, and of these a team each of rough and smooth bassets was in the first four. 

Dachshunds are often erroneously treated as Sporting Dogs. There are certainly not so 
many supporters of the breed as formerly. Their lean heads, with long hanging ears, long low 
bodies, and crooked fore legs, give them a quaint appearance. The colours are usually shades 
of chestnut-red or black and tan ; but some are seen chocolate and " dappled," which is one 
shade of reddish brown, with spots and blotches of a darker shade all over it. 

Great Danes, though mostly classed amongst Non-sporting Dogs, have much of the hound 
in their bearing and appearance. The whole-coloured are not so popular as the various shades 
of brindle and harlequin, but I have seen many beautiful fawns, blues, and other whole colours. 




BLOOD-HOUND 
TMis photograph shows what an a/most perfect blood-hound should he Sk» 





ENGLISH SETTER 

jf typical but rather coarse specimen of a beautiful 'variety 



Ph»f fy E. Landtrl lEmlimg 

SMOOTH-COATED SAINT BERNARD 

The illustration git/es a capital idea of these handsome dogt 



THE DOG FAMILY 



105 



They are being bred with small natural drooping ears. One of the first I remember seeing 
exhibited was a large harlequin belonging to the late Mr. Frank Adcock, with the appropriate 
name of " Satan," as, although always shown muzzled, he required the attentions of three or four 
keepers to deal with him ; and at one show I attended he overpowered his keepers, got one of 
them on the ground, tore his jacket off, and gave him a rough handling. 

Non-sporting Varieties. 

Saint Bernards, although 
sometimes exceeding 3 feet at 
the shoulder, are as a rule very 
docile and good-tempered, and 
many are owned by ladies. The 
coat may be rough or smooth, 
according to taste; but either 
are splendid animals. They are 
sometimes seen self-coloured, 
but those with markings — shades 
of rich red, with white and 
black, for preference — are the 
handsomest. They are still used 
as " first aids " in the snow on 
the Swiss mountains. So far as 
I remember, this is the only 
breed of dog used for stud and 
exhibition for which as much as 
^7,500 has been paid ; and this 
has occurred on more than one 




FJm$ h Frmulli Alinarq 



\fl9rnua 



GREAT DANE 



Tkis skews a typical specimen of tJus breedy with cropped ears, wAick will he ds- 
continued in skoio dogs 



occasion. 

Newfoundlands have re- 
gained their place in popularity, and many good blacks and black-and-whites can now be seen. 
Numerous cases are on record of their rendering aid to persons in danger of drowning, and 
establishing communication with wrecked vessels and the shore. 

Mastiffs are looked on as one of the national breeds. Their commanding presence and 
stately manner make them highly suitable as guards, and they are credited with much attach- 
ment and devotion to their owners. The 
colours are mostly shades of fawn with black 
muzzle, or shades of brindle. I am able to 
give the portrait of one of the best speci- 
mens living, belonging to Mr. R. Leadbeater. 

Bull-dogs are also regarded as a national 
breed. They are at present in high favour. 
The sizes and colours are so various that all 
tastes can be satisfied. Recently there has 
been a fancy for toy bull-dogs, limited to 22 
lbs. in weight, mostly with upright ears 
of tulip shape. In spite of the many 
aspersions on their character, bull-dogs are 
usually easy-going and good-tempered, and 
are often very fastidious feeders — what fanciers 
call " bad doers." 




\^Baaar Strtet 



DACHSHUND 

The photograph conveys a fair idea of these fuaint dogs 



io6 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Rough Collies are very 
graceful, interesting creatures, 
and stand first in intelligence 
among canines. They are 
highly popular. Several have 
been soldfor over ^5,000, and 
the amounts in prize-money 
and fees obtained by some of 
the " cracks " would surprise 
persons not in " the fancy." A 
high-bred specimen " in coat *' 
is most beautiful. The colours 
most favoured are sables with 
white markings; but black, 
white, and tans, known as 
'f tricolors," are pleasing and effective. I quite hoped to give a portrait of one of the most perfect 
of present-day champions, belonging to H. H. the Princess de Montglyon,but could not find room. 
Smooth Collies are a handsome breed, full of grace, beauty, and intelligence, and very 
active and lively. A favourite colour is merle, a sort of lavender, with black markings and tan 
and white in parts, usually associated with one or both eyes china-coloured. Specimens often 
win in sheep-dog trials ; a bitch of mine won many such, and was more intelligent in other ways 
than many human beings. 

Old English Sheep-dogs are a most fascinating breed, remarkably active, possessed of 
much endurance and resource, and very faithful and affectionate. I have often made long 



Phtf bj Kiuhtntr Portrait Cc. 



DALMATIANS 

jiJ/ art typica/f hut tAeJirst is tht htst in quality and mofktng 




Ifh»f oy T. t>iil\ 



NEWFOUNDLAND 

Ckt dog thoutn hert gives a good idea of usu and character , but is not in best coat 



[B«i«r Strttt 



THE DOG FAMILY 



107 



journeys through cross-country roads accompanied by one or more of them, and never knew 
them miss me, even on the darkest night or in the crowded streets of a large town. The 
favourite colour is pigeon-blue, with white collar and markings. The coat should be straight and 
hard in texture. The illustration is from a portrait of one of the best bitches ever shown, 
belonging to Sir H. de TrafiTord. 

Dalmatians are always white, with black, liver, or lemon spots, the size of a shilling or less, 
evenly distributed over the body, head, ears, and even tail, and pure, without mixture of white. 
There is much of the pointer about this variety, which has long been used for sporting purposes 
on the continent of Europe. I can testify to their many good qualities as companions and 
house-dogs. To quote again from the article above mentioned : " It is commonly believed that 
the spotted carriage-dogs once so frequently kept in stables were about the most useless 




ph»f bj r. Fair] 



BULL-DOGS 

2'Ae photograph is remarkably good and characteristic of thit vartetf 



l£4iitr Strttt 



creatures of the dog kind, maintained only for show and fashion. This is a mistake. They were 
used at a time when a traveling-carriage carried, besides its owners, a large amount of valuable 
property, and the dog watched the carriage at night when the owners were sleeping at country 
inns. We feel we owe an apology to the race of carriage-dogs. . . . While this dog is 
becoming extinct, in spite of his useful qualities, other breeds are invading spheres of work in 
which they had formerly no part." There is only one point in which I differ from the above, 
and that is contained in the last sentence. There are a number of enthusiastic breeders very 
keen on reviving interest in this variety, and I have during the last few years had large entries to 
judge, so that we shall probably see more of them in the future. 

Poodles are of many sizes and colours. They are very intelligent, easily taught tricks, and 
much used as performing dogs. They have various kinds of coats : corded, in which the hair 
hangs in long strands of ringlets ; curly ^ with a profusion of short curls all over them, something 



Io8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




OLD ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG 

TAis is a remarkably fine photograph of a well-known specimen of this 
interesting variety 



like retrievers; and fluffy ^ when the hair is 
combed out, to give much the appearance of 
fleecy wool. A part of the body, legs, head, 
and tail is usually shorn. 

Bull-terriers are now bred with small 
natural drooping ears, and should have long 
wedge-shaped heads, fine coats, and long 
tails. There is also a toy variety, which 
hitherto has suffered from round skulls and 
tulip ears, but is rapidly improving. I have 
bred many as small as 3 lbs. in weight. In 
each variety the colour .preferred is pure 
'white, without any markings, and with fine 
tapering tails. 

Irish Terriers are very popular, and 
should be nearly wholly red in colour, with 
long lean heads, small drooping ears, hard 
coats, not too much leg, and without coarse- 
ness. They make good comrades. 
Bedlington Terriers have long been popular in the extreme north of EnglAnd, and are 
another fighting breed. It is indeed often difficult to avoid a difference of opinion between show 
competitors. Their lean long heads, rather domed skulls, with top-knot of lighter hair, long 
pointed ears, and small dark eyes, give them a peculiar appearance. The coats, which are 
" linty " in texture, should be shades of blue or liver. 

Three breeds, all more or less hard in coat-texture, and grizzled in colour on heads and bodies, 
while tanned on other parts, are Airedale, Old English, and Welsh Terriers, which may be 
divided into large, medium, and small. The first-named make very good all round dogs ; the 
Old English, less in number, make useful dogs, and are hardy and companionable ; while Welsh 
terriers are much the size of a small wire-haired fox-terrier, but usually shorter and somewhat 
thicker in the head. I intended one of Mr. W. S. Glynn's best dogs to illustrate the last-named. 
Fox-terriers are both smooth- and wire-haired. Their convenient size and lively tempera- 
ment make them very popular as pets and companions for both sexes and all ages. The colour 
is invariably white, with or without markings on head or body, or both. 

Black-and-tan and White English 
Terriers are built upon the same lines, 
differing chiefly in colour, the former being 
raven-black, with tan markings on face, legs, 
and some lower parts of the body, and the 
latter pure white all over. Both should have 
small natural drooping ears, fine glossy coats, 
and tapering sterns. The toy variety of the 
former should be a miniature of the larger, 
and is very difficult to produce of first-class 
quality. 

Scottish Terriers are very interesting, 
often with much " character " about them. 
The usual colours are black, shades of gray, 
MASTIFF ^'^ brindle, but some are seen fawn, stone- 

„, , , V / f L ^1 j'j k J .k. colour, and white. The ears should be carried 

the photograph gfves almost an ideal picture tf this splendid breeds '^ , , . , 

colour being known as biack-brindJe bolt Upright, the coat as hard as a badger's. 





Ffff bf Lamktrt Lambtri^ [Bath 

DEER-HOUND 

This is a cafital ftrtralt t/tnt ^th» htst tf this iractful vmrittj 




Ph9t9 kj H. C^rnlshl {Crtdifn 

POINTER 

TMt it aywHg dog not yet sAown, but full of quality and type 




Ph$f fy Villitrs S* StHtl iNtwfrt 

SKYE TERRIER 
Tkt photograph is of a well-known toinner in show form 




Br ftrmutiw •/ Mrs, Hall-lf^alktr 

POMERANIAN 

Probably about the best all-black Toy Pomeranian ever shown 




rh^f hj <;. N. TajUr] [Cnalty R»ad 

MALTESE TOY TERRIER 

A very excellent representation of one of the best spedment of the 

present day 




Fht$ by r. Fail] IBaier Street 

CORDED POODLE 

The length of the cords of which the coat is composed is clearly shown 



•^i 
'-•i^^ 


"M^ 

^^^ 







Phttt hj Kitthtntr V 5«/in*n] [B«ni Strttt 

SCOTTISH TERRIER 
j1 smart picture of one of the best of these popular dogs 




Fh»t9 fy E. Landtr] [Ealing 

BUTTERFLY-DOG 
The photograph gives an excellent idea of this tomewhat ranvarietf 



109 



no THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fh9f fy r. Fair] iBmhr Strtti 

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA, 
WITH CHOW AND JAPANESE SPANIELS 



teeth even, small dark expressive eyes, fore 
legs straight, the back short. One I brought 
from Skye many years since I took with me 
when driving some miles into the country; 
coming back by a different route, he missed 
me; but on nearing my starting-point I 
found him posted at a juncture of four roads, 
by one of which I must return. He could 
not have selected a better position. The illu- 
stration is that of a first-rate specimen of the 
variety, " Champion Balmacron Thistle." 

Dandie Dinmont Terriers have many 
quaint and charming ways. They are very 
strongly built, being among the most muscular 
of the terriers, of high courage, devotedly 
attached to their owners, and admirably 
adapted for companions, being suitable for 
indoors or out, and at home anywhere. The 
colours are pepper (a sort of darkish iron- 
gray) and mustard (a yellowish red fawn), 
both with white silky hair on head, called the 
top-knot, and lustrous dark eyes, very gipsy- 
like and independent in expression. 
Skyes, both Prick- and Drop-eared, are another Scottish breed which well deserve their 
popularity, as they are thorough sporting animals. The colours are chiefly shades of dark or light 
gray, but sometimes fawn with dark points and whites are seen. The texture of coat should 
be hard and weather-resisting ; the eyes dark and keen in expression ; bodies long, low, and well 
knit ; legs straight in front ; even mouths ; tails carried gaily, but not curled over the back. 

ScHiPPERKES are of Belgian origin. To those who do not know them, they are something 
like medium-sized Pomeranians, short of coat, but without tails. They are nearly always pure 
black in colour, with coats of hardish texture, fullest round the neck and shoulders, the ears 
standing straight up like darts, short cobby bodies, and straight legs. They make smart guards 
and companions. 

Chows originally came from China, but are now largely bred here. They are square-built 
sturdy dogs, with dense coats, tails carried over the side, blunt-pointed ears, and rather short 

thick heads. They have a little of a large coarse Pomeranian, 
with something of an Eskimo about them, but are different 
from either, with a type of their own. The colour is usually 
some shade of red or black, often with a bluish tinge in it 
One marked peculiarity is that the tongues of chows are blue- 
black in colour. 

Pomeranians can be procured of any weight from 3 to 
30 lbs., and of almost every shade of colour. At present 
brown of various shades is much in favour, but there are 
many beautiful whites, blacks, blues, sables, and others. They 
are very sharp and lively, and make charming pets and com- 
panions. Really good specimens command high prices. The 
ph$f b, r. Faiq iBaiir strttt iHustration is of one of the best of his colour ever seen — 

SAND-DOG « Champion Pippin." 

'^r.r;r:;/M^^^^^^^^ P^^> both fawn and black, are old-fashioned favourites 




THE DOG FAMILY 



III 




very quaint and peculiar in appearance. They should have square 
heads and muzzles, with small ears, large protruding eyes, short 
thick bodies, and tails tightly curled over the back. The illus- 
tration, " Duchess of Connaught," is of a well-known winner. 

Maltese Terriers are very beautiful when pure bred. 
They have a long straight coat of silky white hair nearly 
reaching the ground, black* nose and eyes, and the tail curled 
over the back of their short cobby body. Their beauty well 
repays the trouble of keeping them in good condition. The 
illustration, from a photograph taken for this article, is that 
of the high-class dog " Santa Klaus." 

Yorkshire Toy Terriers, with their steel-blue bodies 
and golden-tanned faces, legs, and lower parts, and long 
straight coats, require skilful attention to keep in order, but 
are very attractive as pets. 

Toy Spaniels are very old members of the toy division, 
dating from or before the time of King Charles: King 
Charles Spaniels being black and tan ; Prince Charles 
Spaniels black, white, and tan ; another strain, the Blenheim, 
white, with shades of reddish-tan markings on the head and 

body, and a spot of same colour on forehead ; and the Ruby, a rich coppery red all over. They 
should be small and stout in size and shape, without coarseness, long in the ear, with large full 
protruding eyes of dark colour, a short face, a straight coat, and not leggy. 

Japanese Spaniels carry heavy coats, usually black, or yellow, and white in colour, shorter in 
the ears, which are carried more forward than in the last-named, broader in the muzzle, with 
nearly flat faces, dark eyes, and bushy tails carried over the back. They have very short legs, 
and their hair nearly reaches the ground as they walk. When I kept them they were much 
larger in size, but they are often now produced under 6 lbs. ia weight. 

Pekin Spaniels, the last of the toy spaniels I need mention, come from China. They 
should have soft fliffy coats, tails inclined to turn over the back, short faces, broad muzzles, large 
lustrous eyes, and a grave, dignified expression. The colour is usually some shade of tawny 
fawn or drab, but 1 have seen them black and dark brown ; whatever colour, it should be without 
white. The illustration, Mrs. Lindsay's " Tartan Plaid," was one of the early importations. 



fnof kj County •/ GUut*tt*r Stuih^ Chtlttnham, 

PUG AND PEKINESE SPANIEL 

A typical portrait of t^wo tvell-known ivinrurs in 

these popular varieties 




Pbtf hy C. Rtid] 



[mthawy N. B. 



FOX-TERRIER 

A picture full of life and go — at present odds in fa'vour of our friend wtA the prickly coat 



112 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




FlM$ bj £. Lmmdwl 



BLENHEIM AND PRINCE CHARLES SPANIELS 
Tidt littU group will Mtr^i to sAow the appearance cf tkese charming httle pen 



lE^Umi 



Italian Greyhounds, another old-fashioned variety of toy dog, should not exceed 1 2 lbs. 
in weight, but in my opinion are better if they are some pounds less. Much like miniature 
greyhounds in shape and build, they are elegant, graceful little creatures, very sensitive to cold. 
Shades of fawn, cream, or French gray are most common ; but some are slate-blue, chestnut-red, 
and other tints. Of late years the breed has met with more encouragement, and there is less 
fear of its being allowed to die out. 

Griffons Brusselois have been greatly taken up the last few years. They are something 
like Yorkshire toy terriers in size and shape, but with a shortish harsh coat, generally of some 
shade of reddish brown, very short face, small shining dark eyes, heavy under-jaw, short thick 
body, and an altogether comical appearance. Imported specimens, particularly before reaching 
maturity, are often difficult to rear. 

The African Sand-dog occasionally seen in this country (mostly at shows) is remarkable 
for being entirely hairless, except a few hairs of a bristly character on the top of the head and 



a slight tuft at the end of the tail ; 
in colour, something in shape and 
terrier, and very susceptible to 
Having been supplied with an 
will say a few words about this 
numbers at Constantinople and 
roam about unclaimed, and act as 
to divide the places they inhabit into 
leader, and resent any interference 
cases where they have made a de- 
late at night ; but they are rather a 
with a little firmness on the part of 
the descendants of the dogs so often 
probrium ; and, among Eastern peo- 
now the most insulting epithet that 
ancient times, the dog never seems 
hunting and pursuing game and 
guardian of their flocks, herds, and 




Fh»f by tht Duchtsi •/ Btdftrd. 

PARIAH PUPPIES 

TUs capital photograph of a 
variety teldom teen in this country 
wilt be very interuting 



it is chiefly blue-black or mottled 
size like a coarse black-and-tan 
cold. 

illustration of Pariah Puppies, I 
variety, which is seen in large 
other Eastern cities, where they 
amateur scavengers ; they are said 
districts or beats, each with its own 
with their authority. I have known 
termined attack on travelers out 
cowardly race, and easily repulsed 
the attacked. Probably these are 
mentioned in Scripture with op- 
ples, to call a man " a dog" is even 
can be used. By the Jews, in 
to have been used, as with us, in 
wild animals, but merely as a 
sometimes dwellings. 




Fh»f bf Otfmar jlnschut^l 



IS 



COMMON BROWN BEAR 
In Scandinavia a Jew mil haunt the highest mountain'ridgci^ as htrt sAawn 

113 



iBirlm 



CHAPTER VI 




Ph$t$ fy Otfmsr jlnahutx^ BtrUn 

AN INVITING 

ATTITUDE 

TAe upright position is not natw 

ral to the brown bear. It prefers 

to sit on its hams^ and not to stand 



vours young 
fowl and eggs, and 
can actually kill 
and eat the gigantic 
walrus. 

Every one will 
have noticed the 
deliberate flat- 
footed walk of the 
bears. This is due 
partly to the for- 
mation of the feet 
themselves. The 
whole sole is set flat 
upon the ground, 
and the impressions in a bear's track are not 
unlike those of a man's footsteps. The claws 
are not capable of being retracted, like those 
of the Cats ; consequently they are worn at 
the tips where the curve brings them in contact 
with the ground. Yet it is surprising what 
wounds these blunt but hard weapons will in- 
flict on man — wounds resembling what might 
be caused by the use of a very large garden- 
rake. Against other animals protected by hair 
bears' claws are of little use. Dogs would 
never attack them so readily as they do were 
they armed with the talons of a leopard or tiger. 
The flesh-teeth in both jaws of the bear are 



THE BEARS 

EXCEPT the great cats, no creatures have longer held a place in 
human interest than the Bears. Their size and formidable 
equipment of claws and teeth give the touch of fear which 
goes with admiration. On the other hand, they do not, as a rule, molest 
human beings, who see them employing their great strength on appar- 
ently insignificant objects with some amusement. Except one species, 
most bears are largely fruit and vegetable feeders. The sloth-bear of 
India sucks up ants and grubs with its funnel-like lips ; the Malayan beat 
is a honey-eater by profession, scp.rcely touching other food when it can 
get the bees' store ; and only the great polar bear is entirely carnivorous. 
The grizzly bear of the Northern Rocky mountains is largely a flesh 
eater, consuming great quantities of putrid salmon in the Columbian 
rivers. But the ice-bear is ever on the quest for living or dead flesh ; 
it catches seals, dc- 
sea- 




Phtf hj FrattlU jtUnmri] [FUrtmt 

THREE PERFORMING BEARS 

Thou on the right and left are Himalayan blach bears. The %uUf 
collar is plainly seen 

114 



THE BEARS 



"5 



unlike those of other carnivora. 
The teeth generally show that 
bears have a mixed diet 
Bears appear to have de- 
scended from some dog-like 
ancestor, but to have been 
much modified. 

Except the ice-bear, all 
the species are short and very 
bulky. It is said that a polar 
bear has been killed which 
weighed i,ooo lbs. It is far 
the largest, and most formida- 
ble in some respects, of all the 
carnivora. The claws of the 
grizzly bear are sometimes 5 
inches long over the outer 
curve. All bears can sit up- 
right on their hams, and stand 
upright against a support like a 
tree. Some can stand upright 
with no aid at all. Except the 
grizzly bear, they can all climb, 
many of them very well. In 
the winter, if it be cold, they 
hibernate. In the spring, when 
the shoots of the early plants 
come up, they emerge, hungry 
and thin, to seek their food. 
Bears were formerly common 
in Britain, and were exported 
for the Roman amphitheatres. 
The prehistoric cave-bears 
were very large. Their re- 
mains have been found in Devon, Derbyshire, and other counties. The species inhabiting Britain 
during the Roman period was the common brown bear of Europe. 

The Common Brown Bear. 

Only one species of bear is found in Europe south of the ice-line, though above it the white 
ice-bear inhabits Spitzbergen and the islands off the White Sea. This is the Brown Bear, the 
emblem of Russia in all European caricature, and the hero of innumerable fragments of folk- 
lore and fable, from the tents of the Lapps to the nurseries of American children. Except the ice- 
bear, it is far the largest of European carnivora, but varies much in size. Russia is the main home 
of the brown bear, but it is found in Sweden and Norway, and right across Northern Asia. It is also 
common in the Carpathian Mountains, in the Caucasus, and in Mount Pindusin Greece. In the South 
it is found in Spain and the Pyrenees, and a few are left in the Alps. The dancing-bears commonly 
brought to England and America are caught in the Pyrenees. The ** Queen's bear," so called 
because its owner was allowed to exhibit it at Windsor, was one of these. But lately dancing- 
bears from Servia and Wallachia have also been seen about our roads and streets. In Russia the bear 
grows to a great size. Some have been killed of 800 lbs. in weight. The fur is magnificent la 




th^ia bj O.tomur jtHSihiitJc] 

EUROPEAN 



I BtrUn 



BROWN BEAR 



T^e specimen of the broion ^ear of Europe from ivhich thh picture ivas taken was an unusually 
light and aaive hear, hsfanks are aimo*tJlat 



Il6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Pk$f h E. LrnndT"] 



SYRIAN BEAR 

Thii is the bear generally alluded to in the Old Testament 



[Eellng 



winter, and in great demand 
for rich Russians' sledge-rugs. 
The finest bear-skins of all are 
bought for the caps of the 
Grenadier and Coldstream 
Guards. In the Alps the bears 
occasionally visit a cow-shed 
in winter and kill a cow ; but 
as a rule the only damage done 
by those in Europe is to the 
sheep on the hills in the far 
north of Norway. Tame brown 
bears are amusing creatures, 
but should never be trusted. 
They are always liable to turn 
savage, and the bite is almost 
as severe as that of a tiger. 
Men have had their heads 
completely crushed in by the 
bite of one of these animals. 
In Russia bears are shot in the following manner. When the snow falls, the bears retire into the 
densest thickets, and there make a half-hut, half-burrow in the most tangled part to hibernate in. 
The bear is tracked, and then a ring made round the cover by beaters and peasants. The 
shooters follow the track and rouse the bear, which often charges them, and is forthwith shot. 
If it* escapes, it is driven in by the beaters outside. High fees are paid to peasants who send 
information that a bear is harboured in this way. Sportsmen in St. Petersburg will go 300 or 
400 miles to shoot one on receipt of a telegram. 

The brown bear, like the reindeer and red deer, 
is found very little modified all across Northern Asia, 
and again in the forests of North America. There, 
however, it undergoes a change. Just as the red deer 
is found represented by a much larger creature, the 
wapiti, so the brown bear is found exaggerated into 
the great bear of Alaska. The species attains its 
largest, possibly, in Kamchatka, on the Asiatic side 
of Bering Sea ; but the Alaskan bear has the credit 
with sportsmen of being the largest. A skin of one of 
the former, brought to the sale-rooms of Sir Charles 
Lampson & Co., needed two men to carry it. Last 
spring, in the sale-rooms of the same great firm, some 
persons present measured the skin of an Alaskan bear 
which was 9 feet across the shoulders from paw to paw. 

The Grizzly Bear. 

This is a very distinct race of brown bear. It has 
a flat profile, like the polar bear; in addition it grows 
to a great size, is barely able to climb trees, and has the 
ph.t. h i^. D. DMn4.^ \it.ren,^, Psri IsLTgcst claws of any— they have been known to meas- 

LARGE RUSSIAN BROWN BEAR ureS inches along the curve. The true grizzly, which 
T^^cture '^^^7^™-^''^^-^'^ '^ used to be found as far north as 61° latitude and south 




THE BEARS 



117 



as far as Mexico, is a rare animal now. Its turn for cattle-killing made the ranchmen poison it, 
and rendered the task an easy one. It is now only found in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and 
perhaps in North California and Nevada. Formerly encounters with " Old Ephraim," as the 
trappers called this bear, were numerous and deadly. It attacked men if attacked by them, and 
often without provocation. The horse, perhaps more than its rider, was the object of the bear. 
A great furrier measured a grizzly which was 9 feet long from nose to tail. The weight some- 
times reaches 800 lbs. Measurements of much larger grizzly bears have been recorded, but' 
it is difficult to credit them. On a ranche near the upper waters of the Colorado River several 
colts were taken by grizzly bears. One of them was found buried according to the custom of 
this bear, and the owner sat up to shoot the animal. Having only the old-fashioned small-bored 
rifle of the day, excellent for shooting deer or Indians, but useless against so massive a beast as 
this bear, unless hit in the head or heart, he only wounded it. The bear rushed in, struck him a 
blow with its paw (the paw measures a foot across), smashed the rifle which he held up as a 
protection, and struck the barrel on to his head. The man fell insensible, when the bear, having 
satisfied himself that he was dead, picked him up, carried him ofl*, and buried him in another 
hole which it scratched near the dead colt. It then dug up the colt and ate part of it, and went 
off*. Some time later the man came to his senses, ajid' awoke to find himself ** d^ad and buried." 
As the earth was only roughly thrown over him, he scrambled out, and saw close by the half- 
eaten remains of the colt. Thinking that it might be about the bear's dinner-time, and remem- 
bering that he was probably put by in the larder for the next meal, he hurried home at once, and 
did not trouble the bear again. Not so a Siberian peasant, who had much the same adventure. 
He had been laughed at for wishing to shoot a bear, and went out in the woods to do so. The 
bear had the best of it, knocked him 



down, and so frightfully mangled his arm 
that he fainted. Bruin then buried him 
in orthodox bear fashion ; and the man, 
when he came to, which he fortunately 
did before the bear came back, got up, 
and made his way to the village. There 
he was for a long time ill, and all through 
his sickness and delirium talked of noth- 
ing but shooting the bear. When he 
got well, he disappeared into the forest 
with his gun, and after a short absence 
returned with the bear's skin ! 

The American Brown Bear. 

The brown bear of America is closely 
allied to that of Europe ; it was first de- 
scribed by Sir John Richardson, who 
called it the Barrenlands Bear, and noted, 
quite rightly, that it differed from the 
grizzly in the smallness of its claws. The 
difference in the profile is very marked — 
the brown bear having a profile like that 
of the European bear, while that of the 
grizzly is flat. The brown bear of North 
America lives largely on the fruits and 
berries of the northern plants, on dead 
deer, and on putrid fish, of which quanti- 




Ph»f ky Nno Ytrk Z»»Uglcsl Stthty 

AMERICAN BLACK BEAR 
The black htar was the tpenn first encountered by the early teit/ers on tki 
Atlantic dda cf America. Ihe griisady belongs to the Rocky Mountain regtom 



Ii8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Ph,f fy L. Midlmnd, F.Z.S.) [N»rth Finchhj 

YOUNG SYRIAN BEAR FROM THE CAUCASUS 



ties are left on the banks of 
the northern rivers. Whether 
the large brown bear of the 
Rocky Mountains is always 
a grizzly or often this less for- 
midable race is doubtful. The 
writer inclines to think that 
it is only the counterpart of 
the North European and the 
North Asiatic brown bear. 
The following is Sir Samuel 
Baker's account of these 
bears. He says : " When I 
was in California, experienced 
informants told me that no 

This is, properly speaking, a Syrian bear, but the species is found in the Casuasus and in the Taurus ^^^^ grizzly bear waS tO be 

found east of the Pacific slope. 
There are numerous bears of three if not four kinds in the Rocky Mountains. These are 
frequently termed grizzlies ; but it is a misnomer. The true grizzly is far superior in size, but of 
similar habits, and its weight is from 1,200 lbs. to 1,400 lbs." After giving various reasons for 
believing this to be a fair weight. Sir Samuel Baker adds that this weight is equivalent to that 
of a large cart-horse. There are certainly three Rocky Mountain bears — ^the Grizzly, the 
Brown, and the small Black Bear. There is probably also another — a cross between the 
black and the brown. It is ridiculous to say that the brown bears which come to eat the 
refuse on the dust-heaps of the hotels of the Yellowstone Park, and let ladies photograph them, 
are savage grizzly bears. 

The Syrian Bear. 

This bear, which figures in the story of Elisha, is a variety of the brown bear. It is found 
from the Caucasus to the mountains of Palestine, and is a smaller animal than the true brown 
bear, weighing about 300 lbs. The fur in summer is of a mixed rusty colour, with a whitish 
collar on the chest. It steals the grapes on Mount Horeb, and feeds upon ripe fruits, apples, 
chestnuts, corn, and the like. It is then ready to face the long winter sleep. 



The American Black Bear. 

This is the smallest North American species, and perhaps the most harmless. It seldom 
weighs more than 400 lbs. Its coat is short and glossy, and its flesh, especially in autumn, is 
esteemed for food. The early backwoodsmen found it a troublesome neighbour. The bears 
liked Indian corn, and were not averse to a young pig. " Like the deer," says Audubon, " it 
changes its haunts with the seasons, and for the same reason — vis. the desire of obtaining food. 
During the spring months it searches for food in the low alluvial lands that border the rivers, or 
by the margins of the inland lakes. There it procures abundance of succulent roots, and of the 
tender, juicy stems of plants, upon which it chiefly feeds at that season. During the summer 
heat it enters the gloomy swamps, and passes much of its time in wallowing in the mud like a 
hog, and contents itself with crayfish, roots, and nettles ; now and then, when hard pressed by 
hunger, it seizes a young pig, or perhaps a sow or calf. As soon as the different kinds of berries 
ripen, the bears betake themselves to the high grounds, followed by their cubs. In much-retired 
parts of the country, where there are no hilly grounds, it pays visits to the maize-fields, which it 
ravages for a while. After this the various kinds of nuts and grapes, acorns and other forest 



THE BEARS 



119 



fruits, attract its attention. The black bear is then seen wandering through the woods to gather 
this harvest, not forgetting to rob every tree which it comes across." 

The Indian Sloth-bear. 

Few people would believe that this awkward and ugly beast is so formidable as it is. It is 
-[the commonest Indian species, seldom eats flesh, prefers sucking up the contents of a white ants' 
nest to any other meal, and is not very large; from 200 lbs. to 300 lbs. is the weight of a male. 
But the skull and jaws are very strong, and the claws long and curved. As they are used almost 
like a pickaxe when the bear wishes to dig in the hardest soil, their effect upon the human body 
can be imagined. 

Sir Samuel Baker says that there are more accidents to natives of India and Ceylon from 
this species than from any other animal. 

Mr. Watts Jones writes an interesting account of his sensations while being bitten by one 




Fh»f bf C. R»ld] 



[fflteaxo^ N.B. 



A BROWN BEAR IN SEARCH OF INSECTS 

TAi pkotograpk sAows a bear feeding on insects^ pouibly large ants, ivhich he licks up from the ground, after scratching them out ivtth his claws 

of these bears : " I was following up a bear which I had wounded, and rashly went to the mouth 
of a cave to which it had got. It charged. I shot, but failed to stop it. I do not know exactly 
what happened next, neither does my hunter who was with me ; but I believe, from the marks 
in the snow, that in his rush the bear knocked me over backwards — in fact, knocked me three or 
four feet away. When next I remembered anything, the bear's weight was on me, and he was bi- 
ting my leg. He bit two or three times. I felt the flesh crush, but I felt no pain at all. It was 
rather like having a tooth out with gas. I felt no particular terror, though I thought the bear 
had got me ; but in a hazy sort of way I wondered when he would kill me, and thought what a 
fool I was to get killed by a stupid beast like a bear. The shikari then very pluckily came up 
and fired a shot into the bear, and he left me. I felt the weight lift off* me, and got up. I did 
not think I was much hurt. . . . The main wound was a flap of flesh torn out of the inside of 
my left thigh and left hanging. It was fairly deep, and I could see all the muscles working under- 
neath when I lifted it up to clean the wound." This anecdote was sent to Mr. J. Crowther Hirst 



I20 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




to illustrate a theory of his, that the killing of wild 
animals by other animals is not a painful one. 

Rustem Pasha, once Turkish Ambassador in 
England, had an accident when brown bear shoot- 
ing in Russia, and writes of it in the same sense : 
" When I met the accident alluded to, the bear 
injured both my hands, but did not tear off part of 
the arm or shoulder. In the moment of desperate 
struggle, the intense excitement and anger did, in 
fact, render me insensible to the feeling of actual 
pain as the bear gnawed my left hand, which was 
badly torn and perforated with holes, most of the 
bones being broken.*' 

There is good reason to believe that when 
large carnivora, or beasts large in proportion to the 
size of their victims, strike and kill them with a 
great previous shock, the sense of pain is deadened. 
Not so if the person or animal is seized quietly. 
Then the pain is intense, though sometimes only 
momentary. A tigress seized Mr. J. Hansard, a 
forest officer in Ceylon, by the neck. In describing 
his sensations afterwards, he said : " The agony I 
felt was something frightful. My whole skull seemed 
as if it were being crushed to atoms in the jaws of 
the great brute. I certainly felt the most awful pain 
as she wbs biting my neck ; but not afterwards, if I 
can remember." Sir Samuel Baker says he has 
twice seen the sloth-bear attack a ho wdah -elephant. Lord Edward St. Maur, son of the Duke 
of Somerset, was killed by one. Mr. Sanderson, the head of the Government Elephant-catching 
Department, used to hunt bears in the jungle with bull-terriers. Against these the bear was 
unable to make a good fight. They seized it by the nose ; and as its claws were not sharp like 
those of the leopard, the bear could not get them off. 

This bear seldom produces more than two or three young at a birth. The young cub is 
very ugly, but very strong, especially in the claws and legs. A six weeks' old cub has been 
turned upside-down in a basket, which was shaken violently, without dislodging the little animal 
clinging inside. 

The Isabelline Bear and Himalayan Black Bear. 

The former animal is a medium-sized variety of the brown bear. The coat in winter is of a 
beautiful silver-tipped cinnamon colour. The Himalayan Black Bear has a half-moon of white on 
its throat. The habits of both do not differ markedly from those of the brown bear of Europe. 

Recently black bears have been most troublesome in Kashmir, attacking and killing and 
wounding the wood-cutters with no provocation. Dr. E. T. Vere, writing from Srinagar, says: 
" Every year we have about half a dozen patients who have been mauled by bears. Most of our 
people who are hurt are villagers or shepherds. Bears have been so shot at in Kashmir that, 
although not naturally very fierce, they have become truculent. When they attack men, they 
usually sit up and knock the victim over with a paw. They then make one or two bites at the 
arm or leg, and often finish up with a snap at the head. This is the most dangerous part of the 
attack. One of our fatal cases this year was a boy, the vault of whose skull was torn off and 
lacerated. Another man received a compound fracture of the cranium. A third had the bones 



Phtf hy FrMUlll JUnmH} [Fhrtiu* 

POLAR bears 
Tkougk Arcdc onifHo/Sf polar bears can endure great heat. 
During a "Meat wave** at Hamburgh Herr C, Hagenbeck 
found two of kis leopards suffering from ieat apoplexy ^ but the 
polar beart were enjoying the sun 




FhwtM tj FrattiH Atinari] 



TWO POLAR BEARS AND 



AUkougk tkii is a fAotcgrafk from life^ it is scarcely a very natural uene i as a matter 6/ fact ^ ail thru 

HagenbeclCs remarkable wunageri$ 



i6 



131 



122 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fh9f By y. U^, JUcLtlUmj [Hightmr^ 

POLAR BEAR 

TJkts bear is the most formidable of all afuatic mammals. It is almost as much at homi 

in the water as a seat 



of his face smashed and lacerated. 
He had an axe, but said, ' When 
the bear sat up, my courage failed 
me. 

The Malayan Sun-bear. 

These small, smooth-coated 
bears have a yellow throat-patch 
like a mustard plaster, and are 
altogether the most amusing 
and .comical of all the tribe. 
They are almost as smooth as a 
pointer dog, and are devoted to 
all sweet substances which can 
be a substitute for honey, their 
main delicacy when wild. There 
are always a number of these 
bears at the Zoo incessantly 
begging for food. When one 
gets a piece of sugar, he cracks 
it into small pieces, sticks them on the back of his paw, and licks the mess until the paw is 
covered with sticky syrup, which he eats with great gusto. This bear is found in the Malay 
Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. It is only 4 feet high, or sometimes half a foot taller. It 
is more in the habit of walking. upright than any other species. 

The Polar' Bear. 

Ice-bear is the better name for this, the most interesting in its habits of all the bears. It is 
an inhabitant of the lands of polar darkness and intense cold, and one of the very few land 
animals which never try to avoid the terrible ordeal of the long Arctic night, which rolls on from 
month to month. It can swim and dive nearly as well as a seal, climbs the icebergs, and goes 
voyages on the drifting ice, floating hundreds of miles on the polar currents, and feeding on the 
seals which surround it. Of the limits of size of the ice-bear it is impossible to speak with 
certainty. From the skins brought to this country the size of some of them must be enormous. 
One which lived for more than thirty years at the Zoo was of immense length and bulk. When 
the first discoverers went to the Arctic Seas, dressed in thick clothes and skins, the polar bears 
took them for seals. On Bear Island, below Spitzbergen, a Dutch sailor sat down on the snow 
to rest. A bear walked up behind him, and seized and crushed his head, evidently not in the 
least aware of what kind of animal it had got hold of. When the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedi- 
tion was wintering in Franz-Josef Land, the bears were a positiv^e nuisance. They were not 
afraid of man, and used to come round the huts at all hours. The men shot so many of them 
that they formed a valuable article of food for the dogs. The flesh is said to be unwholesome 
for men. The power of these bears in the water is wonderful ; though so bulky, they are as 
light as a cork when swimming, and their strong, broad feet are first-class paddles. Whenever a 
dead whale is found near the shore, the polar bears assemble to feed upon it. In the various 
searches for the Franklin Expedition they pulled to pieces nearly all the cabins erected to hold 
provisions for the sledge-parties. In one case it was found that the bears had amused themselves by 
mounting the roof of a half-buried hut, and sliding down the snowy, frozen slope. Cubs are often 
brought home in whaling- and sealing-ships, after the mothers have been shot. There is a ready 
sale of them for the great menageries. Herr Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, by purchasing them 
quite young, has induced bears to live on good terms with tigers, boar-hounds, and leopards. 



THE BEARS 



123 



The manoeuvres of an ice-bear in the water are marvelous to watch. Though so bulky a 
beast, it swims, dives, rolls over and over, catches seals or fish, or plays both on and under the 
water with an ease and evident enjoyment which show that it is in its favourite element. One 
favourite game of the ice-bear is to lie on its back in the water, and then to catch hold of its 
hind toes with its fore feet, when it resembles a half-rolled hedgehog of gigantic size. It then 
rolls over and over in the water like a revolving cask. Its footsteps are absolutely noiseless, as 
the claws are shorter than in the land-bear's, and more muffled in fur. This noiseless power of 
approach is very necessary when it has to catch such wary creatures as basking seals. A very 
large proportion of the food formerly eaten by ice-bears in summer was probably putrid, as they 
were always supplied with a quantity of the refuse carcases of whales and seals left by the 
whaling-ships. This may account for the bad results to the sailors who ate the bears' flesh. 
Now the whaling industry is so little pursued that the bears have to catch their dinners for them- 
selves, and eat fresh food. 




Pfuf hy th§ Ar«cp T»rh ZfUgieal Stehtj 

HALF-GROWN POLAR BEARS 
9fAen young polar bears are brought to Englatid or New Turk on board ship^ tAey arrive wit A coats a/most as yellow as a sponge. It 

week's bathing to restore the pure white colour 



tahuA 



The Arctic explorer Nordenskiold saw much of the ice-bears on his voyages, and left us what 
is perhaps the best description of their attempts to stalk men, mistaking them for other animals. 
" When the polar bear observes a man," he writes in his " Voyage of the Vega," " he com- 
monly approaches him as a possible prey, with supple movements and a hundred zigzag bends, 
in order to conceal the direction he means to take, and to prevent the man feeling frightened. 
During his approach he often climbs up on to blocks of ice, or raises himself on his hind legs, in 
order to get a more extensive view. If he thinks he has' to do with a seal, he creeps or trails 
himself forward on the ice, and is then said to conceal with his fore paws the only part of his 
body that contrasts with the snow — his large black nose. If the man keeps quite still, the bear 
comes in this way so near that it can be shot at the distance of two gun-lengths, or killed with a 
lance, which the hunter considers safer." 

When a vessel lies at anchor, a polar bear sometimes swims out to it, to inspect the visiting 
ship ; it has also a special fancy for breaking open and searching stores of provisions, boats aban- 



124 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




PJktt* J7 G. W, tnltM ar Ct., Ltd.] [Jktrittn 

THE ICE-BEAR'S COUCH 

, A fa^fourite attitudt cf the polar bear it to lit ttretcktd on its sumach, tvitk the hind and fore 
legs extended fiat. The head often lies hettveen the fore poms. Notice the hair on the feet, tvhick 
keeps the aninudfrum slipping when on the ice. 



P-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m doned and covered over, 
y ^fc ^^^^^^^^^^^^^m ^^^^2^^ ships. One bear which 

had looted a provision 
depot was found to have 
swallowed a quantity of 
sticking-plaster. The ice- 
bear has been met swim- 
ming at a distance of eighty 
miles from land, and with 
no ice in sight. This shows 
how thoroughly aquatic 
its habits and powers are. 
Polar bears do not hug 
their victims, like the 
brown bear, but bite, and 
use their immense feet and 
sharp claws. It has been 
said that when one catches 
a seal on the ice it will play 
with it as a cat does with a mouse. The size of these bears varies very much. Seven or eight 
feet from the tip of the nose to the tail is the usual length ; yet they have been known to exceed 
even 1 3 feet in length. This would correspond to an immense difference in bulk and weight. 
An ice-bear was once found feeding on the body of a white whale, 1$ feet in length, and weighing 
three or fDur tons. The whale could not have got on to the ice by itself, and it is difficult to 
imagine that any other creature except the bear could have dragged it there from the sea, where 
it was found floating. When hunting seals, polar bears will chase them in the water as an otter 
does a fish, but with what result is not known. Besides stalking them in the manner described 
above, they will mark the place at which seals are basking on the rim of an ice-floe, and then dive, 
and come up just at the spot where the seal would naturally drop into the water. Those shot for 
the sake of their skins are nearly all killed when swimming in the sea. The hunters mark a bear 
on an ice-floe, and approach it. The bear always tries to escape by swimming, and is pursued 
and shot through the head from the boat. When the females have a cub or cubs with them, they 
will often attack persons or boats which molest them ; otherwise they do not willingly interfere 
with man, except, as has been said above, when they mistake men for seals or other natural prey. 
The instances recorded of the affection shown by these animals for their young are some- 
what pathetic. When the Carcase frigate, which was engaged on a voyage of Arctic discovery, 
was locked in the ice, a she-bear and two cubs made their way to the ship, attracted by the scent 
of the blubber of a walrus which the crew had killed a few days before. They ran to the fire, 
and pulled off some of the walrus-flesh which remained unconsumed. The crew then threw 
them large lumps of the flesh which were lying on the ice, which the old bear fetched away 
singly, and laid before her cubs as she brought it, dividing it, and giving each a share, and 
reserving but a small portion for herself. As she was fetching away the last piece, the sailors 
shot both the cubs dead, and wounded the dam. Although she could only just crawl to the place 
where the cubs lay, she carried the lump of flesh which she had last fetched away, and laid it 
before them ; and when she saw that they refused to eat, laid her paws on them, and tried to 
raise them up, moaning pitifully. When she found she could not stir them, she went to some 
distance, and looked back, and then returned, pawing them all over and moaning. Finding at 
last that they were lifeless, she raised her head towards the ship and uttered a growl, when the 
sailors killed her with a volley of musket-balls. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA. 



THE RACCOON FAMILY. 




A LINK between the Bears and the Weasel 
Tribe is made by the Raccoons and 
their allies. They are bear-like in hav- 
ing a short, thick body, and in their flat-footed 
manner of walking ; also in their habit of sitting 
up on end, and using their paws as hands, to 
some extent, in aiding them to climb. But they 
are also much like the Civets ; and the pretty 
little Cacomixle, or Ring-tailed Cat of Mexico, 
was formerly classed with the civets. They are 
all very active, enterprising, and quick-witted 
creatures of no great size, very different in 
temperament from the bears. 



Phtf kf BchdMttk Pktf, C:] [pMrfn*t Grttn 

COMMON RACCOON 



The Raccoon. 

TAis is tJki typical representative of tke Raccoott Family, It is fiund —^ . r *.!. r m • ^t_ a 

r L WT . JO J i ' o L ^ • The type of the family is the American 

in ws»tt parts of the United States^ amd also tn South Auunca. ^^ / '- ^ x..m*iiv*w»i^ 

Raccoon itself. Its scientific name of " Loter," 
the " Washer," was given to it from an odd habit these creatures have of wetting and washing their 
food in any water which is near. One kept at the Zoo washed her kittens so much when they 
were bom that they all died. 
The 'coon inhabits 
America from Canada to the 
south as far down as Para- 
guay. In size it is equal to 
a common fox, but is short 
and stout. Restless, inquisi- 
tive, and prying, it is a most 
mischievous beast where farm- 
yards and poultry are within 
reach. It kills the fowls, 
eats the eggs, samples the 
fruit, and if caught shams 
dead with all the doggedness 
of an opossum. It is very 
fond of fish and shell-fish. 
Oysters are a special dainty, 
as are mussels and clams. 




[fntkaw^ N.M. 



Phtf hj C, Rtid] 

RACCOON 

TAis animal has tke habit of always washing itsfood^ if possible^ before it eats it 

125 



126 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Ph»f i/ A. S. RuiUni V S»nt 

GREAT PANDA 

TAis very rare animal is found on the high flauau of Tihtt 



A gentleman who kept one 
says : " It opens oysters with 
wonderful skill. It is sufficient 
for it to break the hinge with 
its teeth; its paws complete 
the work of getting out the 
oyster. It must have a 
delicate sense of touch. In 
this operation it rarely avails 
itself of sight or smell. It 
passes the oyster under its 
hind paws ; then, without 
looking, it seeks with its 
hands the weakest place. It 
there digs in its claws, forces 
asunder the valves, and tears 
out the flesh in fragments, 
leaving nothing behind." Its 
favourite haunt is in the cane- 
brakes of the south. There 
the planters follow it by night with dogs, and shoot it in the trees in which it takes refuge. The 
skins, with handsome alternations of yellow and brown, make fine carriage rugs. 

The Coatis. 

The Coatis are small arboreal creatures, with the habits of a raccoon and squirrel fairly pro- 
portioned. They are flesh-eaters, but active and playful. Their long pig-like snouts give them 
an unpleasant appearance. They inhabit Mexico and Central and South America as far as 
Paraguay. Several specimens are generally to be seen at the Zoological Gardens. Their habits 
are much the same as those of the small tree climbing cats, but with something of the badger 
added. Insects and worms, as well as birds and small animals, form their food. 

The Pandas and Kinkajou. 

Among the small carnivorous mammals the Bear-cat, or Panda, is a very interesting crea- 
ture. Its colour is striking — a beautiful red-chestnut above, the lower surface jet-black, the tail 
long and ringed. The quality of the fur is fine also. It is found in the Eastern Himalaya, and 
is as large as a badger. The Great Panda, from Eastern Tibet, is a much larger, short-tailed, 
black-and-white animal, once thought to be a bear. The Kinkajou has a prehensile tail, and 
uses its paws as hands so readily that it was formerly placed among the lemurs. It is a native 
of Southern and intertropical America. Nocturnal, and living in the great forests, it is seldom 
seen by man. Its head is round and cat-like, its feet are the same, but with non-retractile cla>\'s, 
and it has a long, full tail. It has a long tongue, with which it can lick out insects from the 
crevices and holes of trees. Baron von Humboldt says that it attacks the nests of wild bees. It 
uses its tongue to draw objects of food towards it, even if they are not living. A pleasant 
description of this animal appeared in Charles Knight's " Museum of Animated Nature," pub- 
lished many years ago : " In its aspect there is something of gentleness and good-nature. In 
captivity it is extremely playful, familiar, and fond of being noticed. One lived in the gardens of 
the Zoological Society for seven years. During the greater part of the morning it was asleep, 
rolled up in a ball in its cage. In the afternoon it would come out, traverse its cage, take food, 
and play with those to whom it was accustomed. Clinging to the top wires of its cage with its 
tail and hind paws, it would thus swing itself backwards and forwards. When thus hanging, it 



THE SMALLER CARNIVORA 



127 




would bring its fore paws to the bars, as well as the hind pair, 
and in this manner would travel up and down its cage with 
the utmost address, every now and then thrusting out its long 
tongue between the wires, as if in quest of food, which, when 
offered to it, it w.ould endeavour to draw in between the wires 
with this organ. It was very fond of being gently stroked 
and scratched, and when at play with any one it knew it 
would pretend to bite, seizing the hand or fingers with its 
teeth, as a dog will do when playing with its master. As the 
evening came on, it was full of animation, and exhibited in 
every movement the most surprising energy." 

THE OTTERS. 

As the badgers and ratels seem specially adapted to 
an underground and cave-making existence, so the Otters 
all conform in structure to an aquatic life; yet, except the 
webbing of the space between the toes and the shortening 
and flattening of the head, there is very little obvious change 
in their structure to meet the very great difference in the con- 
ditions under which they live. 

The Short-toed Otter is a small Indian species. It 
has nails on its hands in place of claws. One kept at the 
Zoo was a most amusing and friendly little pet, which let itself 
be nursed like a kitten. 

The North American Otter has the same habits as the 
English kind, but is somewhat larger, and has a far finer coat. 
It is trapped in thousands, and the fur sent over to this country to the Hudson Bay Com- 
pany's and other great fur-sales. These otters, like all their family, are very fond of playing. 
One of their regular games is to make a snow-slide or an ice-slide down a frozen waterfall. The 
alighting-place from this chute is, if possible, in the water. There the trapper sets his traps, and 

the poor otters are caught. 

The Common Otter is 
far the most attractive of the 
British carnivora. It is still 
fairly common all over Britain 
where fish exist. It is found 
on the Norfolk broads and 
rivers, all up the Thames, in 
Scotland, Devonshire, Wales, 
Cumberland, and Northumber- 
land. It travels considerable 
distances from river to river, 
and sometimes gets iAto a 
preserved trout-pool or 
breeding-pond, and does 
much mischief. The beau- 
it, ^,r-,<„i.»./p,rr, i,^^* P,„,*,r,.»,£„. tiful young otters here fig- 
YOUNG OTTERS ured are in Mr. Percy Leigh 

Otttrsj wAen taktn youngs can be trained to catch fish for their owners. In India several tribes Pemberton S COllectlOn OI 

employ them for this furpose British maflimals. Theif 



PifU fy S<h»Uttl€ Phtf C$.y PMr$»n*s Greeu 

KINKAJOU 
The kinkajou eats birds and eggs as well as 
honey and fruit. One kept in South America 
killed a whole brood of turkeys, and was partial 
to birds* eggs. 




128 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




TWO TAME OTTERS 
TJiese noo little otters were photographed by the Duchess of Bedford. AlluSng 
to the old ttgnt of the uodiae and their fondnut for the waterifig^t^ their portrait 
vas called ** AyaaHus'* and <* The Twins.** 



owner made a large brick tank 
for them, where they were allowed 
to catch live fish. Once one of them 
seized a 4^1b. pike by the tail. The 
pike wriggled round and seized the 
otter's paw, but was soon placed Aors 
de combat. The largest otter which 
the writer has seen was bolted by a 
ferret from a rabbit-warren on the 
edge of the Norfolk fen at Hockwold, 
and shot by the keeper, who was rab- 
biting. 

English dog otters sometimes 
weigh as much as 26 lbs. They 
regularly hunt down the rivers by 
night, returning before morning to 
their holt, where they sleep by day. 
No fish stands a chance with them. 
They swim after the fish in the open 
river, chase it under the bank, and 
then corner it, or seizfe it with a 
rush, just as the penguins catch 
gudgeon at the Zoo. Captain Salvin 
owned a famous tame otter which 
used to go for walks with him, and 
amuse itself by catching fish in the 
roadside ponds. 



The Sea-otter. 

Common otters killed on the coast are often confounded with the Sea-otter. This is a 
great mistake. The sea-otter is as much a marine animal as the seal or the sea-lion. It swims 
out in the open ocean, and is even more of a pelagic creature than the seal, for it either produces 
its young when in the water, or at any rate carries and suckles them on the open sea. The sea- 
otter is much larger than the common otter. Unfortunately the fish and other marine creatures 
which form the food of the sea-otters are found mainly near the coast. Following them, the 
otters come near the Aleutian Islands, 
where the hunters are ever on the 
watch for them. If a single otter is 
seen, five or six boats, with a rifleman 
in each, at once put out, and the otter 
stands little chance of escape. It never 
was a .common animal, and the prices 
given for the fur, up to $1000 for a 
jirst-class skin, have caused its destruc- 
tion. The skin, when stretched and 
cured, is sometimes 5 feet long, and 
IS of an exquisite natural rich brown, 
like long plush, sprinkled all over with 
whitish hairs like hoarfrost. 




Pll«<« kj A. S. Rudland V S»n 

SEA-OTTER 

The sea-otter has the most valuable fur of any 



THE SMALLER CARNIVORA 



129 




Ph»f hj A. B, kudUnd V S»nt 

A SKUNK 
jIm Amtrican anima/p noted chiefly for the uent-gland it poututt^ from wkkk ii 
emits a most ohnoxioiU'-tmtlling fluid 



THE SKUNKS. 

Of all the strange equipments 
given by nature to animals for their 
protection that possessed by the various 
species of Skunk is the most effec- 
tive. These animals are able to emit 
a fluid so vile in odour that it seems 
equally hateful to all animals. Dogs, 
pumas, men, alike shun them, and the 
animals seem to know this and to pre- 
sume on their immunity. An ordinary 
skunk is about the size of a cat, 
black, with bright white stripes down 
the sides and back. The fur is thick 
and handsome, and, if the animal be 
killed before it discharges its fluid, 
is not too strongly odorous to make 
trimmings for jackets. Mr. Hudson, 

in his " Naturalist in La Plata," says : « In talking to strangers from abroad, I have 
never thought it necessary to speak of the dangers of sunstroke, jaguars, or the assassin's 
knife. But I have never omitted to warn them of the skunk, minutely describing its habits 
and personal appearance. I knew an Englishman who, on taking a first gallop across the 
Pampas, saw one, and quickly dismounting, hurled himself bodily on to it to effect its capture. 
Poor man ! He did not know that the animal is never unwilling to be caught Men have been 
blinded by them forever by a discharge of the fiery liquid in their faces. The smell pervades 
the whole system of any one subjected to it, like a pestilent ether, nauseating the victim till 
seasickness seems pleasant in comparison." Dogs can be taught to kill skunks ; but they show 
the greatest disgust and horror when the fluid of the animal falls upon them, and sometimes roll 

in mud or dust in the 
endeavour to get rid 
of it. 

THE BADGERS. 

The Badgers in- 
clude several genera. 
The Sand-badgers of 
the East have a naked 
snout, small ears, and 
rough fur, with softer 
fur underneath. The 
Indian Badger is 
larger than that of 
Europe, while that of 
Java, Sumatra, and 
Borneo is smaller, and 
has a very short tail. 

The Ferret- 

A BADGER. IN THE WATER ' "' BADGERS from the 

Tkt9 art nocturnal animals EdSt have elongated 







[m$hiiv>^ N.B. 



130 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Pkf fy 9€k$latti€ Fh$t: C:} [P«ri*H*i Grtnt 

EUROPEAN BADGER 

Sadgtn CSM U nadilj kipt in confitumtntf and art not difficult to tamo 

tkorougkiy 



bodies and short tails. They are tree- 
climbers, and as omnivorous as the 
badger itself. The Cape Zorilla, with 
another species found in Egypt, is 
more nearly allied to the polecats, but is 
striped like a skunk. 

The European Badger is still fairly 
numerous. There is not a county in 
England where it is not found. A 
large colony has been established in 
Epping Forest, some fifty yards square 
of hillside being honeycombed with 
badger-earths. The European badger 
is found all over temperate Northern 
Europe and Asia ; but being shy, wary, 
and mainly nocturnal, is seldom seen. 
At night it wanders about, and in 
August gets ' into flie corn-fields, 
whence it is chased and caught by 
dogs. A Somersetshire farmer had a 
pointer and sheep-dog which were 
adepts at this night catching of badgers. They would accompany their master along the roads, 
and the pointer instantly winded any badger which had crossed. Both dogs then bounded off, and 
soon their loud barking showed that they had found and •* held up " the badger. The dogs* owner 
then came up, picked the badger up by its tail, and dropped it in a sack. The badger's " earth '* 
is wonderfully deep and winding ; in it the badger sleeps during the winter, and gives birth to it& 
young, three or four of which are produced at a time. The end of March is the period of birth, 
but the cubs do not come out until June. In October they are full-grown. The badger carries 
in a great quantity of fern and grass as a bed for its cubs. Mr. Trevor-Battye writes : " I had a 
pair which were probably about six weeks old. They were called Gripper and Nancy. They 
would rest on my lap when feeding, and sit up and beg like dogs. Their hearing and power of 
scent were remarkable. The badgers were in a closed yard ; but if any of the dogs came near, 
even following a path which ran at a distance of six or seven yards, they would instantly jump 
off my lap and disappear into a corner. The animals could walk and trot backwards with the 
greatest ease." I have never seen this noticed elsewhere, yet it is worth mentioning, because it 
is characteristic of the Weasel Family, not being shared, to my knowledge, by any other mammal 
— not, for instance, by the Bears. 

Mr. A. E. Pease says of the badger : " It is easily domesticated, and if brought up by hand 
is found an interesting and charming companion. I had at one time two that I could do any- 
thing with, and which followed me so closely that they would bump against my boots each step I 
took, and come and snuggle in under my coat when I sat down." 

The Ratels. 
As the mink is adapted for an aquatic diet, so the Ratels, a link between the Weasels and 
the Badgers, seem to have been specialised to live upon insects and honey as well as flesh. 
They are quaint creatures, with rounded iron-gray backs, and black bellies, noses, and feet. The 
African kind is- foqnd in Cape Colony and East Africa, and is believed to live largely on honey 
and bee-brood. The habits of the ratel are almost identical with those of the badger, except that 
it is less shy and very restless. A nearly similar species of ratel is found in Southern Asia from 
the Caspian to India. 



THE SMALLER CARNIVORA 



131 



The ratels are strictly nocturnal, and make their lair by day in hollow trees, though they 
are said not to climb. The skin is protected by thick, close hair, so that bees cannot sting 
through the fur. The skin is also very loose. If a dog bites it, the ratel can generally twist 
round and bite back. The African ratel is omnivorous. It eats snakes and birds. The body of 
a cobra has been found in the stomach of one. 

THE WEASEL TRIBE. 

No animals are more bloodthirsty and carnivorous than most of the Weasel Tribe. They 
are also well equipped both in actual weapons and in activity of body, and have powers quite out 
of proportion to their size. They are also gifted with magnificent coats, and constitute the most 
valuable source of choice furs. Sable, Marten, Mink, Wolverine, Ermine, Otters, and several 
others are among the most highly prized. Their claws are sharp, but not retractile. It is 
indeed fortunate that these creatures are so small in size, otherwise they would be among the 
greatest enemies of animal life. As things are, they are useful in keeping down the numbers of 
creatures which, like field-mice, moles, rabbits, and rats, might, and occasionally do, become a pest. 

The Martens. 

There are two species of marten in Europe — the Beech- and the Pine-marten. The latter 
has a yellow throat, the former a white one. The fur is almost as fine as sable. All so-called 
Canadian sables are really martens. These animals are found throughout Northern Europe and 
Northern Asia, in Japan, and all over Northern America. In Scotland the pine-marten survives 
in the pine forests ; also in Ireland, where it is occasionally killed on the Wicklow Mountains, 
near Dublin, and on the Mourne Mountains. It is believed to remain in Cumberland, Devon- 
shire, and possibly in parts of Wales. It is a tree-loving animal, and feeds mainly on squirrels, 
which it pursues through the branches. It is also fond of fruit. Mr. Charles St. John discovered 
this in a curious way. He noticed that his raspberries were being stolen, so set a trap among 
the canes. Next day all he could see was a heap of newly gathered raspberry leaves where the 
trap was. Stooping down to move them, a marten sprang up and tried to defend itself. The poor 
beast had come to gather more raspberries, and had been caught. Unable to escape, it gathered 
the leaves near and concealed itself. 

The Sable. 

This is so little different 
from the marten that some 
have thought it only a 
northern variety. That is not 
the case, as both are found 
in the same area, and no one 
who knows anything of form 
and colour could mistake the 
true sable's fur. This fur is 
so fine and even that each 
single hair tapers gradually 
to a point : that is why sable 
brushes for painting are so 
valuable ; they always form a 
point when wet. The price 
of these brushes, which are of 
genuine sable fur, though 
made up from fragments of 

the worst coloured or dam- ph^t. k, j. s. MmdUnd v smt 

aged skins, varies yearly with RATEL 

the price of sable in the markeL - JUttlt art cwrimuly rutUu UnU «mM/«, whk a pumRmr trtt^ki vmU 




132 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The Mink. 

Ladies are very f-.miliar with the fur of the Mink, which is one of the best of the less expen- 
sive varieties ; it i? not glossy as marten or sable, and of a lighter and more uniform brown. 
The mink is a water-haunting polecat, found in Siberia, North America, and Japan. Its main 
home is in North America, where the immense system of lakes and rivers gives scope for its 
aquatic habi!o. The under-fur is particularly warm and thick, to keep out the cold of the water^ 
in which tne animal spends more time than on land. It is not stated to catch fish, as does the 
otter, m the water ; but it lives on frogs, crayfish, mussels, and dead or stranded fish. Minks 
have been kept in confinement and regularly bred in " minkeries," as is the blue fox, and in 
M^inchuria the chow dog, for the sake of its fur. 

The Polecat. 

This is now probably the rarest of the British weasels. It is almost identically the same as 
the polecat-ferret, a cross-breed between it and the domesticated variety. It survives in a few of 
the great woodlands of the Midlands and of Oxfordshire, in Scotland, and Wales. It is found in 
Cumberland, near Bowness, and on Exmoor and Dartmoor where rabbits abound. It is an expert 
swimmer. Its habits are the same as those of the stoat, but it is slower in its movements. It 
catches fish, and can pick up food from the bottom of the water. Wild ones can be trained to 
work like ferrets. " TTiey do not delay in the hole, but follow the rat out and catch it in a couple 
of bounds " (Trevor-Battye). The Ferret is a domesticated breed of polecat. It is identical in 
shape and habits» but unable to stand the cold of our climate in the open. 




J|f ftrmiishn •/ Ferty Ltlgh Ptmhtrun^ E$f, 



PINE-MARTEN 
Ftne-marUHs havt most beautiful fur^ and for that rtason art macA kuimd in Anuricm 



THE SMALLER CARNIVORA 



133 




POLECAT 



The Weasel. 
The smallest, fiercest, and 
commonest of its race, the 
little Weasel is by no means 
the least formidable to other 
animals of the carnivora of 
our country. It is cinnamon- 
coloured, with a white throat 
and belly, and climbs as 
neatly as a cat, running up 
vertical boughs with almost 
greater facility. A weasel in 
a high hedge will run the 
whole length of the fence, 
from twig to twig, without 
descending; it threads the 
galleries of the field-mice, 
sucks the eggs of small birds 
in their nests, and attacks 
rats, mice, rabbits, and even 
such large birds as grouse without fear or hesitation. During a great plague of field-voles in 
the Lowlands of Scotland in the years 1890 and 1891 the weasels increased enormously. A 
shepherd took the trouble to follow a weasel down a hollow drain in the vole-infested hillside ; he 
found the bodies of no less than thirteen field-mice, which the weasel had amused itself by kill- 
ing. In winter weasels hunt the corn-stacks for mice, and often make a home among the sheaves. 
One was seen chasing a vole by Mr. Trevor-Battye, who picked up the vole, which the weasel 
was just about to jump up for, when he threw it into the hedge. There the weasel pounced on 
it and carried it off! 

The main food of the weasel is the field-mouse and small voles. Weasels are very devoted 
to their young ; they will pick them up and carry them off as a cat does a kitten, if the nest is 
in danger. Their hunting shows great marks of cunning. One was seen in a field in which a 
number of corn-buntings were fly- 
ing about, alighting on thistles. 
The weasel went and hid under one 
of the tallest thistles, on which a bunt- 
ing soon alighted ; an instant after it 
sprang up and caught and killed the 
bird. 

The Stoat, or Ermine. 

This is the commonest and most 
widely distributed of all the Weasel 
Tribe. In winter the fur turns to 
pure white in the northern countries, 
and occasionally in Southern England. 
It is then known as the Ermine, and 
yields the ermine fur. In every 
country where it is found it is the 
deadly foe of all small animals, from 
the hare to the smallest field-mice. 




PJuu hp A, 8, MmdUmd • Snu 

HIMALAYAN WEASEL 

ri#f argforctf amd mhtolutdy ftarUu whin in fmrtnit •/ gmm 



13+ THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 





Ph»tei hy A, S. RudUnd V 8pn$ 

COMMON STOAT 

In summer coat In winter eoat 

TAese fkotograpks iheto tkt stoat {or enmine^ as it is often calUd) in its summer and winter eoats, TAis ammal grves us the vfell-Jknoton enmne/itr 

It has the same passion for killing for killing's sake shared by the ferret. If a stoat finds a rabbit's 
nest, for instance, it always murders all the young ones. These creatures sometimes contrive to 
hunt in packs, or to migrate in society. They are very fond of their young, which they lay up in 
old crows' nests, holes in banks, or straw-stacks. They have often been seen to carry them out 
of danger in their mouths. The length of the head and body is loj^ inches, and of the tail 
6^ inches. The young are usually from five to eight in number, and are born in April or May. 
They soon move into the long standing-grass, and remain there till it is cut. After that they 
move to the woods and covers, and great numbers are trapped. If not, they attack the young 
pheasants, and do great damage. They can climb well, and are known, as is the polecat, to 
ascend trees and kill birds on their nests. They also suck eggs. Forty-two pheasants* eggs 
were taken by Mr. de Winton from one stoat's hole. 

The Glutton, or. Wolverine. 

This largest and most destructive of all the Weasel Tribe is found all round the northern 

edge of the Arctic Circle, from Norway to Hudson Bay. It is a large heavy animal, with a short 

head, sharp claws, long thick fur, and a clumsy gait. Its tusks are very long and sharp ; and its 

appetite, if not so insatiable as the old travelers were told, is sharp enough to keep it always 

hunting. It follows the fur- 
trappers in the woods, and, 
being very cunning, breaks in at 
the back of their fall-traps, and 
robs the baits or the prey caught 
When Lord Milton and Dr. 
Cheadle made the Northwest 
Passage by land, they lost nearly 
all their furs in this way. Once, 
having trapped a valuable silver 
fox, the only one caught by 
them, they found nothing but 
shreds of fur left by the glutton. 
As the marten-hunters' line of 
traps is perhaps fifty or sixty 
miles long, the loss and damage 
caused by the glutton is most 
mortifying. This animal can 
only be caught in steel traps, and 
that with great difficulty. 




Pb^f fy A. S. RudUnd V S$nt 

GLUTTON 

^ cunning f destructive animal, wlnck follows the trafpersand rehtheme/thtammais taken 

in the traps 




Bjf^rmittiit •fsiu Una Ytrk Z-ttghml Steitty 

CALIFORNIAN STBA-LIONS, OR EARED SEALS 
StaLJUrdtfirm ** nokmu ** wMim m Itmd ai tJu hruMng-'Stawi^ dttrif^ VfkUk thm tktj undergo a com^ltufiti 

«35 



CHAPTER VIII. 

MARINE CARNIVORA: THE SEALS, SEA-LION, AND PTALRUS. 




STELLER'S SEA-LION 
TAt tmr§d uai^ or tahUotiy Jkas tks kind Jlippers dtvidid^ and is thui obit to movt wtk com" 

parathft east on land 



THERE are three 
families of the Sea 
Carnivora, — the 
Fur-seals, or Eared Seals ; 
the Walrus; and the True 
or Earless Seals. 

The first group, which 
are called Eared Seals, and 
occasionally Sea-lions and 
Sea-bears, have a small outer 
ear, and when on land the 
hind flippers are folded for- 
wards beneath the body. 
There is a distinct neck, and 
on the flippers are rudiment- 
ary claws. Some of the eared 
seals have the close and fine 
under-fur which makes their 
capture so remunerative. 
Under the skin there is often 
a thick layer of blubber,, 
which is also turned to commercial uses by the sealers. 

The Walrus stands by itself. It is a purely Arctic species, whereas fur-seals are found 
from Bering Sea to the Antarctic ; and forms in some degree a connecting link between the 
eared seals and the true seals. Like the former, it turns the front flippers forwards and inwards 
when on land ; but it resembles the true seals in having no external ears. The upper canine 
teeth are developed into enormous tusks of hard ivory. 

The Common Seals are the most thoroughly aquatic. The hind flippers seem almost to 
have coalesced with the tail, and are always directed backwards in line with it. They have no- 
under-fur. On land they can only use the front flippers to aid their progress. 

Most seals are marine, though some are found in the land-locked sea of Lake Baikal, in 
Central Asia, and the true seals often come up rivers. 

The Eared Seals, or Sea-lions. 

These and the walrus have their hind limbs so far free that they can crawl on land and use 
their flippers for other purposes than swimming ; they can comb their hair with them, and walk 
in an awkward way. They are divided into the fur-seals and hair-seals in the language of trade. 
The fur-seals are those from which ladies' sealskin jackets are made ; the hair-seals are sought 
for their hides and oil. A demand has sprung up for the latter to make coats for automobilists 
to wear when riding at high speed in cold weather. The " porpoise-hide " boots are really made 
from the skin of the hair-seal. 

Both hair-seals and fur-seals have in common the remarkable habit of assembling in large 

136 



MARINE CARNIVORA 



137 



herds during the breeding-season, and of spending a long period on land after the young are 
born. The male seals reach the islands, or " rookeries," first, followed by the females. The 
latter give birth to their young almost as soon as they reach the rocks, and are then seized and 
gathered into harems by the strongest and oldest males. The sea-lions of Patagonia, equally 
with the fur-seals of Bering Sea and the Pribyloff Islands, never feed during the whole time 
which they spend on the rocks, often for a period of two months. 

The Fur-seals. 
The Northern Fur-seal is the only member of this group surviving in any number. 
These animals still annually resort to the Aleutian Islands, in the territory of Alaska, in great 
herds to produce their young, and to certain other islets off the coast of Japan. This northern 
fur-seal, from the fur of which the sealskin jackets are obtained, is, when full grown, between 
6 and 7 feet long. The females are only 4 feet or 4^ feet in length. The shoulder of the male 
is gray, the rest of the body varying between reddish gray and deep black. The female is lighter 
in colour. Males of this species are not full grown till six years of age, but breed when four 
years old. The females produce young at three years of age. The male seals take possession 
of the females almost immediately after reaching the breeding grounds, each male collecting as 
many females as it can round it The pups keep with their mothers. This assemblage is 
surrounded by great numbers of young male or bachelor seals, which the old males prevent from 
annexing any of the females. The greatest of all these gathering-places are on the Pribyloff 
Islands and certain other islets in Bering Sea. By the end of May both male and female seals 
swim in flocks through Bering Straits, making for the islands. The islands themselves are 
leased to American merchants. But as those seals killed on the way are all just about to bring 
forth young, the waste and cruelty of this " pelagic sealing " will be easily understood. On the 
islands, or " rookeries," the males, mothers, and pups remain till August, when the pups take to 
the water. The male seals have remained for at least two months, incessantly fighting and 
watching, without taking any food. By that time they are quite exhausted, the fat which they 
laid up previously being all absorbed. The fur has not naturally either the colour or texture 




8EA-LION ^ 

Tktt pkot9grgfk sAows tht dry mstu of ti$ JM-iffM^ m rmhtr uncvmmon tight ^ as it rardj nmmnt Itig trn^k 9mfftk$ vsttr fir its /ur 

t9 btC99S§ shs^istttly dry 



138 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




which art gives it. The outer fur is long and coarse, 
and only the inner fur of the exquisite texture of the 
" made *' skin. The former is removed, and the latter 
dyed to the rich brown colour which we see. The fur- 
seals are steadily diminishing, and each year's catch is 
smaller than that of the year before. 

The Cape Fur-seal, Southern Fur-seal, and 
New Zealand Fur-seal are practically extinct for 
commercial purposes. 



Bj ftrmlsthn •/ frtfttfr Bumfui] [Ntw Ttrh 

SEA-LION 

All ua-lions are polygamotu. The males guard their 
harems very jeaJeusly^ amd fight determinedly wth any 
intruder 



The Hair-seals. 

Among these are the large so-called " sea-lions " 
of Patagonia and the North Pacific. We are familiar 
with their appearance, because for many years speci- 
mens have been kept at the Zoological Gardens. 
Their habits are much the same as those of the 
fur-seals. The principal species are, in the north, 
Steller's Sea-lion, and the Patagonian Sea-lion 
I MM 7^^^ ^ ^^VIHI ^^ ^^^ south. Those kept at the Zoological Gardens 

E ^ij^HflH^^^MMtoH are usually of the latter species. 

Steller's Sea-lion is already on the road to 
extinction. When the annual catch of fur-seals 
reached 100,000 a year, the total number of these 
northern sea-lions was estimated at between 30,000 
and 40,000. They repair every year to the Pribyloff 
Islands to breed, as the fur-seals do, but are shier and 
more entirely aquatic. The fur of the old males is 
tawny, and makes a kind of mane over the shoulders, 
whence its name. Off San Francisco there is a small 
rocky island, one of the ancient " rookeries " of these sea-lions, where they are carefully preserved 
by the United States Government as one of the sights of the bay. Another favourite haunt in 
old days was on the Farralone Islands, thirty miles from the bay. 

Southwards, towards the Antarctic, on the desolate and uninhabited coasts and islets of the 
Far Southern Ocean, the most characteristic of the fauna still remaining are the sea-lions. For- 
merly they swarmed in great packs, crowding at the breeding-season tJie seaweed-covered rocks 
with their huge and unwieldy forms, and at other times cruising in uncouth and noisy companies 
in search of the fishes and squids, which they pursued like packs of ocean-wolves. In spring the 
sea-lions used to struggle on to the flat shore, where the equally aquatic tribes of penguins, which 
had lost the use of their wings, covered acre after acre of rock with their eggs and young. 
These the sea-lions devoured. When the men of the first exploring-ships visited the penguins' 
nurseries, all the ungainly birds began to hop inland, evidently taking the men for seals, and 
thinking it best to draw them as far from their native element as possible. But the eared seals 
can make good progress of a kind on land. When Captain Musgrave and his crew were cast 
away for twenty months on the Auckland Islands, they found their tracks on the top of a hill 
four miles from the water. Captain Musgrave also saw the mother seals teaching their puppies 
to swim ; they were by no means inclined to do this^ and were afraid of the water — fairly clear 
presumptive evidence that seals have only recently, so far as natural time is counted, taken to the 
aquatic life, and modified their form so profoundly as they have. 

The Patagonian Sea-lion is perhaps the most numerous species, though its numbers have 



MARINE CARNIVORA 



139 



been greatly reduced by whalers in search of skins and oil. The first sea-lion ever brought 
here was one of these. The Zoological Society did not import it; they found it in the pos- 
session of a Frenchman called Lecomte, who had taken it on the Patagonian coast, trained it, and 
brought it home, where he showed it in a caravan. Its training was long and difficult ; it bit like 
a bull-dog, and Lecomte's limbs were scarred all over with its bites. In spite of this it was the 
cleverest performing animal ever seen up to that time in England. This sea-lion died from swal- 
lowing a fish-hook concealed in some fish with which it was fed. Lecomte was then sent out by 
the Zoological Society to obtain some more. With the greatest difficulty several were secured, 
but all died on the voyage to New York. Lecomte returned and obtained others, one of which 
he succeeded in bringing here. The cleverness of these animals — or rather their power of 
understanding what they are required to do, and their willingness to do it — probably exceeds that 
of any other animal, except the elephant and the dog. Why this is so is not easy to conjecture, 
except that the brain is more developed. They have been taught to fetch and carry on dry land 
like a retriever, in addition to the well-known tricks exhibited by those at the Zoo. One be- 
longing to Barnum's Show caught strawberry-punnets on its nose when they were thrown to it, 
and waved a torch, which it held in its teeth and caught after tossing it into the air. 

The sea-lions are much more powerful animals than the fur-seals. The male of Steller's sea- 
lion attains a length of 10 feet and a weight of 1,000 lbs. The Australian Sea-lion is even 
larger than that of the North Pacific. Some specimens are said to attain 12 feet in length. Cap- 
tain Cook mentions seeing male Patagonian sea-lions 14 feet long and from 8 to 10 feet in cir- 
cumference. Though none are now seen of such dimensions, skulls found on the beach show 
that anciently some of the sea-lions were larger than any now known. 

It should be noted that all these creatures are carnivorous, yet the supply of food for them 
never seems to fail, as undoubtedly it would were the animals dependent for their food on land. 



F 



L. 




Bj f$rmi$$Un •/ Utrr Cmrl Hmgtnhttk] {Kumhirg 

FEMALE WALRUS 
Tkit it a photograpk of the only wa/nu which has ever been tamed and taught to perform tricks. It was taktn whim she was two years old 
and weighed 380 Ihs, At that time she consumed 70 ihs. ofbontleu fish adayi a year lour mr Uu thorn JOO lbs, sad^iU h«r. She is mv 
«■ iasmate of the Rouasaman Zoological Gardens 



I40 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 





c/ tht Htn. If^^htr JtithithiU] I TffH 

MALE WALRUS 
TJU *' ttuAs ** of tAe wa/rus are put to many practical uut during life^ 
and after death are much Ktaluedfor the ivory 



^^^^^m^ ^^^^^^^H '^"^ Walrus. 

^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^H The distinguishing features of the walrus 

^^^B|h^^ .^^PIHHVP^ have been mentioned in the introductory re- 

l^^^^ln^ 0, ^^ marks to this chapter. It should be added 

r W|^ --^^^^ M^^sfL^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ '^^ ^^ exterrial ear-passage, though no 

I ^^^ Y ^^^^^KT^^^ JP^i external ears, and very thick and bristly whis- 

kers. It is practically confined to the Arctic 
Circle, though once its range extended to the 
British coasts (where its bones are found in 
the SuflTolk Crag) and to Virginia. The skull 
of one was found in the peat at Ely — evidence 
that it once ascended rivers. 

The walrus stands alone ; it is a real mon- 
ster of the deep. Strange and awful stories 
were told of it by some of the early voyagers 
to the Arctic Seas; but Captain Cook gave a very different account of his impressions of 
the walruses which he saw on the north coast of America: "They lie in herds of many 
hundreds on the ice, huddling over one another like swine. (They lie just like a lot of pigs 
in a yard.) They roar and bray so very loud, that in the night, or in foggy weather, they 
gave us notice of the vicinity of the ice before we could see it. We never found the whole 
herd asleep, some being always on the watch These, on the approach of the boat, would 
awaken those next to them ; and the alarm being thus gradually communicated, the whole 
herd would awake presently. But they were seldom in a hurry to get away, till after they had 
been once fired at ; they then would tumble over one another into the sea in the utmost con- 
fusion They did not appear to us to be that dangerous animal which authors have described^ 
not even when attacked. Vast numbers of them would follow us, and come close up to the 
boats ; but the flash of the musket in the pan, or the bare pointing of it, would send them down 
in an instant. The female will defend her young to the last, and at the expense of her own life, 
whether in the water or upon the ice ; nor will the young one quit the dam, though she be dead ; 
so that if one be killed the other is certain prey." The long pendent tusks, bristly whiskers, 
small bloodshot eyes, and great size lent colour to the terrifying tales of the walrus. But more 
ancient voyagers than Captain Cook told the truth — ^that the " morses," as they called them, were 
harmless creatures, which often followed the ships from sheer curiosity. They sleep on the ice 
like elephantine pigs, and dive and rout on the sea-bottom for clams, cuttle-fish, and seaweeds. 
Probably the long tusks are used to rake up mussels and clams ; they also help the walrus to 
climb on to the ice. A young walrus was kept for some time by the members of the Jackson- 
Harmsworth Expedition, and was found to be an amusing pet. One kept on board a Dundee 
whaler used to sleep with an Eskimo dog, and got into the same kennel with it. It ate blubber 
and salt pork, but liked the sailors' pea soup better than anything else ; it was most sociable, and 
could not bear to be alone — would tumble down the hatchway to seek the society of its beloved 
sailors, and scramble into the cabin if the door were open. When it fell ill and before it died, it 
seemed most grateful for any attention shown to it. The parent walrus shows the greatest cour- 
age in trying to defend the young one. Walruses are now scarce ; but as the ivory is the only 
part of them of much present value, there is a chance that they may not be killed off entirely. 

The True Seals. 

The True Seals, with their greatly modified forms, heads set almost on to their shoulders, 

with no neck visible, have well-developed claws on all the toes, and in the typical species have 

double-rooted and small cheek teeth. The number of the incisors is variable. The Gray Seal 

of the North Atlantic is a large species which visits the North British coasts and the Hebrides*. 



MARINE CARNIVORA 



l+l 



One old male shot off the coast of Connemara weighed nearly 400 lbs., and was 8 feet long. It 
is found off Scandinavia and eastwards to the coast of Greenland, and breeds off our coasts in 
October and November. This is the large seal occasionally shot up Scotch lochs. Its colour is 
yellowish gray, varied with blots and patches of dirty black and brown. 

The Common Seal. 

This seal is smaller than the preceding. It breeds on parts of the Welsh and Cornish coasts, 
and is found on both sides of the Atlantic and in the North Pacific. It assembles in small herds, and 
frequents lochs, estuaries, and river mouths. In the summer it is fond of following flounders and 
sea-trout up rivers. A few years ago one came up the Thames and was shot at Richmond. The 
"young are born in June, and are grayish white. The adults are variously mottled with gray, 
brown, and black. The fondness of seals for music is proverbial. Macgillivray, the Scotch 
naturalist, said that in the Hebrides he could bring half a score of them within forty yards of him 
by a few notes on his flute, when they would swim about with their heads above water like so 
many black dogs. A seal was captured by the servants of a landowner near Clew Bay, on the 
west coast of Ireland, and kept tame for four years. It became so attached to the house that, 
after being carried out to sea three times, it returned on each occasion. The cruel wretches who 
owned it then blinded it, out of curiosity to see whether it could find its way back sightless. 
The poor animal did so after eight days. 

The common seal is still fairly numerous on the rocky western coasts of the British Islands, 
though a few old seals, unable to forget their early habits, appear now and then in Morecambe 
Bay and in the Solway. It is not unconmion off the coasts of Caithness and Sutherland. It also 
frequents a sand-bank in the Dornoch Firth, though it has been much persecuted there. The 
common seal is gregarious, while 
the gray seal usually lives only in 
pairs, or at most in small com- 
panies. Two or three dozen like 
to lie closely packed on shore with 
all their heads turning seawards. 
The white hair of the young seals 
— which, as already said, are bora 
in June — is shed in a day or two, 
when the young take to the water. 
With regard to their reputed mu- 
sical proclivities, some experi- 
ments made at the Zoological 
Gardens did not bear out this 
belief; but there is much evi- 
dence that in a state of nature 
they will approach and listen to 
music. The common seal has a 
large brain capacity, and is a very 
intelligent creature. The upper 
parts of this seal are yellowish 
gray, spotted with black and 
brown, the under parts being 
silver-gray. 

The Harp-seal is an Arctic 
or ice-seal which sometimes finds 
its way here. The young are bom 




jry fgrmisii$u •/ Utrr Cmrl Htgtnht€li\ IHamhmrg 

WALRUS AND SEA-LION 

Another photograph of the walrus tame J by Herr Carl Hagembeck, Notice the ua-tiom te 
the rigkt-hamd eeruer^ which aim formed one of the tame performing troupe 



142 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




PJff fy r»rk amd 5«fi] \muing Bttl 

GRAY SEAL 

Sials art mot so Hvtll ^tdtipttd as sea-iiotu for getting about on the dry land^ and^ except for 

tior Aahit of coming ashore to bask in the sun^ are thoroughly aquatic 



on ice-floes. It is found in great 
herds in Davis Straits, on the 
coasts of Greenland and in the 
greater part of the frozen Arctic 
Ocean. It is the animal which 
the sealing-vessels which hunt 
seals for oil and " hair " — that is, 
the leather of the skins, not the 
fur — seek and destroy. In the old 
days they could be seen in tens 
of thousands blackening square 
miles of ice. They are still so 
numerous that in Danish Green- 
land more than 30,000 are taken 
each year. The Ringed Seal is 
a small variety, not more th^m 3 
or 4 feet in length, found in'great 
numbers in the Far North. Its 
flesh is the main food of the 
Eskimo, and its skin the clothing of the Greenlanders. The seals make breathing-holes in the 
ice. There the Eskimo waits with uplifted spear for hours at a time, until the seal comes up to 
breathe, when it is harpooned. The Bladder-nosed Seal is a large spotted variety, with a 
curious bladder-like crest on the head and nose of the male. Unlike all other seals, it some- 
times resists the hunters and attacks the Eskimo in their kayaks. 

If any evidence were needed of the great destruction which the sealing and whaling 
industry causes, and has caused, among the large marine animals, the case of the Elephant-seals 
ought to carry conviction. These are very large seals, the male of which has a projecting nose 
like a proboscis. They were formerly found both north and south of the Equator, their main 
haunts being on the coast of California, and on the islands of the South Pacific and Antarctic 
Ocean. They are gigantic compared with the common seals, some of the males being from 16 
to 20 feet long. Cuttle-fish and seaweed are the principal food of this seal, which was formerly 
seen in astonishing numbers. The whaling-ships which hunted both these seals and sperm- 
whales at the same time almost destroyed those which bred on the more accessible coasts, just as 
the earlier whalers entirely destroyed Steller's sea-cow, and their modern descendants destroyed 
the southern right-whales. The elephant-seal is now very scarce, and when one is killed the 
skin is regarded as something of a curiosity. 

In the records of the voyage of the Challenger it is stated that there were still great 
numbers of the elephant-seals surviving near Heard Island, and not a few round the shores of 
Kerguelen Island. Professor Moseley states that on the windward shore of Heard Island " there 
is an extensive beach, called Long Beach. This was covered with thousands of sea.elephants in 
the breeding-season ; but it is only accessible by land, and then only by crossing two glaciers. 
No boat can safely land on this shore; consequently men are stationed on the beach, and 
live there in huts. Their duty is constantly to drive the sea-elephants from this beach into the 
sea, which they do with whips made out of the hides of the seals themselves. The beasts thus 
ousted swim off, and often * haul up,' as the term is, upon the accessible beach beyond. In very 
stormy weather, when they are driven into the sea, they are forced to betake themselves to the 
sheltered side of the island. Two or three old males, which are called ' beach-masters,' hold a 
beach for themselves and cover it with cows, but allow no other males to haul up. They fight 
furiously, and one man told me that he had seen an old male take a young one up in his teeth 
and throw him over, lifting him in the air. The males show fight when whipped, and are with 




GREY SEAL 
NoU tit ^tmc9 Utwun tit teaPi and the sea'Ron*t ixnd fiifperu When on Und^ tie seal advances by ajumfing 

tit wuucUt 9/ tit iodjf astisttd forward iy tit front fiipptrt 

143 



\ productdhf 



144 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



great difficulty driven into the sea. The females give birth to their young soon after their 
arrival. The new-b.orn young ones are almost black, unlike the adults, which are of a light slate- 
brown. They are suckled by the female for some time, and then left to themselves, lying on the 
beach, where they seem to grow fat without further feeding. They are alwcxys allowed by the 
sealers to lie like this, * in order to make more oil.' This account was corroborated by all the sealers 
I met, but I do not understand it. Probably the cows visit their offspring unobserved from time 
to time. Peron says that both parent elephant-seals stay with the young without taking any 
food at all till the latter are about six or seven weeks old, and that the old ones conduct the 
young to the water and carefully keep them company. The rapid increase in v/eight is in 
accordance with Peron's account. Goodridge gives a somewhat different story — namely, that 
after the females leave the young the old males and the pups proceed inland, as far as two miles 
sometimes, and stop without food for more than a month, during which time they lose fat. The 
male sea-elephants come ashore for the purpose of breeding about the middle of August, the 
females a little later." 

Formerly the elephant-seals were found as far north as the Californian coast, where their 
capture was the main business of the sealing- traders. This species also formed the mainstay of 
the far southern sealers. As the elephant-seals were killed off, so the business became less and 
less profitable. It is to be hoped that the voyages of exploration to the Antarctic ice-fringe will 
not lead to the discovery of fresh sealing-grounds, for if this is the case there is little chance that 
any of the southern seals will escape entire destruction. Some form of close time has already 
been enforced in the. pursuit of the hair-seals of Northern Europe ; but it is very desirable that 
the species still found on our own coasts should also receive protection. Except when they paid 
visits to the fixed salmon-nets, they never did any harm ; and fixed nets are now illegal. When 
a seal learned the use of the stake-nets, which these animals were very quick to understand, it 
would wait quietly till it saw a fish caught, and then swim up and carry it off before the fisher- 
men could take it. 

Two species — namely, the Common Seal and Gray Seal — still regularly visit our shores. 
The common seal breeds on our southwestern coasts, and the gray seal off the Hebrides. If the 
common seal were accorded a close time, its numbers would probably increase ; and the spectacle 
of such interesting creatures visible on our coast could not fail to be of great interest. All the 
old legends of mermaids and wild men of the sea are based on the capture of seals. Perhaps the 
most ancient is one which records such a capture in the river near Orford Castle, in Suffolk, in 
the reign of Henry II. The ignorant soldiers were persuaded that it was a man, and tortured it 

to make it speak. They then took it 
to the church, and showed it the 
sacred emblems. As it " showed no 
reverence," they took it back to the 
castle, and fed it on fish. It was al- 
lowed to go into the river, but re- 
turned to its captors of its own accord. 
Later it swam away to the sea. The 
monk who recorded the story stated 
his conviction that this seal was an 
evil spirit which had got into the 
body of a drowned sailor. A gray 
seal was taken not many years ago in 
the creek leading up to the little town 
of Wells, in Norfolk. It was so tame 
that the fishermen caught it by throw- 
ing coats over it as it lay on the mud. 




BjptrmittUn •ftht Htn. W^lUr R$thtehtld] 

HARP-SEAL 
Tkt karp'Stal ccmtifrom Gretnland 



llring 






Bj ftrmiisiit tftht Btn, iValtar Rothschild\ 



iTrlng 



SEA-ELEPHANT 



TAest tnormout uah (about 20 feet in iength) art Ucomn/r very scarce, When tkey come athore^ tkty are easily approached^ though not 
so eauh Mlkd. They art much nUdutdftr Uuir oil. Ntti tkt trunk-4ike froloagatiom tf tht im«, which, whtm tht aniwial it txdttd^ ttcmtt 
^tttnded 

145 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE RODENTS, OR GNjIfVING ANIMALS. 




PJUf fy U^. p. Dmndt] 

CAPYBARA 

Tiiiy tkt largeu of the redenn^ is found hy the rhwt of 
South America 



THE Rodents, or Gnawing Mammals, have all 
the same general type of teeth, from which 
the order receives its distinctive name. There 
are a very large number of families and of genera among 
the rodents, more than in any other order of mammals* 
All the rodents possess a pair of long chisel-shaped in- 
cisor teeth in each jaw. The ends of these teeth are 
worn into a sharp edge which cuts like a steel tool. In 
most rodents these are the only teeth in that part of the 
jaw, a wide gap intervening between them and the other 
teeth. The hares, rabbits, and calling-hares have a 
minute pair of teeth set just behind the large pair in 
the upper jaw. The grinding-teeth are set far back> 
and are never more than six in number, these being 
sometimes reduced to four. Rodents generally have 
five toes on the fore feet ; in the hind feet there are in 
some cases only four, or even three. None of the 
species are of great size ; the largest, the Capybara, \ 
water-living animal of South America, is about the 
dimensions of a small pig. But the number of species 
of small rodents is prodigious, and their fecundity so 
great that they constantly increase in favourable seasons 
until they become a 



plague. Voles, lem- 
mings, field-mice, 
and rabbits are constant sources of loss to agriculture in their 
seasons of extraordinary increase. Most rodents feed on 
vegetables, though rats and mice have developed carniv- 
orous tastes. No rodents have canine teeth. 

The Squirrels. 

Those of the order of Gnawing Animals which have 
only two incisors in each jaw, and no rudimentary teeth like 
those possessed by the hares, are called " Simple-toothed 
Rodents." Of these the family usually placed first in order 
is that of the Squirrels and their allies. The True Squirrels 
and Marmots have five molar teeth on each side of the 
upper jaw. 

Squirrels are found in nearly every temperate part of 
the globe, from Norway to Japan, and in very great numbers 
in India and the tropics. Everywhere they are favourites ; 

146 




Bf ftrmii$i»n ^ Prtftifr Bumfut^ Ntw T*rk 

FLYING-SQUIRREL 
One of the saisll species of the grm^ 



THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMAL 147 



and though they do some 
mischief in highly cultivated 
countries, they are among 
the most harmless of crea- 
tures. Most of them live on 
wild nuts and the kernels of 
fruit; they suck eggs occa- 
sionally, and in Canada will 
come to the traps in ex- 
treme cold and eat the meat 
with which they are baited. 




The Red Squirrel. 

This, the common squirrel 
here, is representative of the 
whole order. In old Scandi- 
navian legends the squirrel 
is represented as the mes- 
senger of the gods, who car- 
ried the news of what was 
going on in the world to 
the other animals. Together 
with its close relations, it is 
the most graceful of all 
climbers of trees. With its 
long tail waving behind it, 
it races up or down the 
trunks and across the for- 
ests from branch to branch 
as easily as a horse gallops 
across a plain. It will de- 
scend the trunk head down- 
wards as fast as it runs up. 
Squirrels pair for life, and 
are most affectionate little 
creatures, always playing or 
doing gymnastics together. The squirrel builds a very good house, in which he shows himself 
far more sensible than the monkeys and apes ; it is made of leaves, moss, and sticks. The sticks 
come first as a platform ; then this is carpeted, and a roof put on. No one who has seen com- 
mon squirrels at work house-building has ever described exactly how they do it ; it is the best 
nest made by any mammal, thoroughly well fitted together and waterproof. In this nest the 
young squirrels are born in the month of June ; that year they keep with the parents, and do 
not " set up for themselves " till the next spring. The red colour is very persistent in squirrels. 
One Chinese variety, black and red, has even bright red teeth. In cold countries the red squirrels 
make stores of food, but spend much of the winter asleep. 

It is a great pity that in England no ones tries to tame the squirrels as they do in America; 
there they are the greatest ornament of the parks of cities, coming down to be fed as tamely as 
our sparrows. The writer has known one instance in which a lady induced wild squirrels to pay 
daily visits to her bedroom for fbod ; they used to climb up the ivy and jump in at the open 
window. The great enemies of squirrels near houses are the cats, which kill all the young ones 



Phtu hy A. S. Rudland V Strn 

FLYING-SQJJIRREL 

The largt Jlying'squirrels are wiainly nocturnal. They can leap a distance 9/40 feet wit A tie aid 
of the parachutes of sldn stretching from the fore to the hind limbs 



148 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




when they first come down 
from the trees. In a garden in 
the country a pair of squirrels 
had a family every summer for 
five years, but none ever sur- 
vived the cats' persistent at- 
tacks. These squirrels were 
most amusing and improvi- 
dent. They used to hide 
horse-chestnuts, small pota- 
toes, kernels of stone fruit, 
bulbs of crocuses, and other 
treasures in all kinds of places, 
and then forget them. After 
deep snows they might be seen 
scampering about looking into 
every hole and crevice to see 
whether that happened to be 
the place where they had hid- 
phm by w. p. Dand$] [Regint's Pu-i jgn somcthing uscful. Much of 

DORSAL SQUIRREL FROM CENTRAL AMERICA the Store was buried among the 

ji most beautiful species. The main colour is red^ but the back is French grty^ and the tail rOOtS of treCS and busheS, and 

French graj^ and red mingled. quite hidden when the snow fell 

The Gray Squirrel. 

In Northern Europe, and across Northern Asia and America, a large gray squirrel is found 
From its fur the " squirrel-cloaks " are made. These squirrels live mainly on the seeds of pines 
in winter, and on wild fruits, shoots, and berries in summer. It has been noticed that they will 
entirely forsake rome great area of forest for a year or two, and as suddenly return to it The 
marten and the sable are the great enemies of the gray squirrel, but the eagle-owl and goshawk 
also kill numbers of them. In many countries the flesh of the squirrel is eaten. 

The gray-and-black squirrel of the United states was thus described some sixty years ago : 
" It rises with the sun, and continues industriously engaged in the search of food for four or five 
hours every morning. During the warm weather of spring it prepares its nest on the branch of a 

tree, constructing it first of dried 
sticks, which it breaks off, or, if these 
are not at hand, of green twigs as 
thick as a finger, which it gnaws off 
from the boughs. These it lays in 
the fork of a tree, so as to make a 
framework. It lines this framework 
with leaves and over these again it 
spreads moss. In making the nest, 
the pair is usually engaged for sev- 
eral days, spending an hour in the 
morning hard at work. The noise 
they make in cutting the sticks and 
ph»i$ bj A. s. RudUnd V s$nt Carrying material is heard at some 

ASIATIC CHIPMUNKS distance." In winter they reside en- 

Small ground-squirrels lobicb store food for the tvinttr tirely in the holcS of treeS, where 




THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 149 




RED-FOOTED GROUND-SQJJIRREL 

Tbii sfteies Mas tome of the cbaracterisHa of tbt trwifuirrels^ OMttng 

tbem tbt busby tail 



their young are in most cases born. Green 
corn and young wheat suffered greatly from 
their depredations, and a wholesale war of 
destruction used to be waged against them 
everywhere. In Pennsylvania an old law 
offered threepence a head from the public 
treasury for every squirrel destroyed, and in 
1749 the enormous sum of 1^40,000 was paid 
out of the public funds for this purpose. In 
those days vast migrations of these squirrels 
used to take place, exciting not only the 
wonder but the fear of the old settlers. In 
the Far Northwest multitudes of squirrels 
used to congregate in different districts, 
forming scattered bands, which all moved 
in an easterly direction, gathering into larger 
bodies as they went. Neither mountains 
nor rivers stopped them. On they came, a 
devouring army, laying waste the corn- and 
wheat-fields, until guns, cats, hawks, foxes, 
and owls destroyed them. 



The Flying-squirrels. 

One of the finest squirrels is the Taguan, a large squirrel of India, Ceylon, and the Malacca 
forests. It is a " flying-squirrel,'* with a body 2 feet long, and a bushy tail of the same length. 
Being nocturnal, it is not often seen ; but when it leaps it unfolds a flap of skin on either side^ 
which is stretched (like a sail) when the fore and hind limbs are extended in the act of leaping ; 
it then forms a parachute. The colour of this squirrel is gray, brown, and pale chestnut. There 
are a number of different flying-squirrels in China. Formosa, and Japan, and in the forests of 
Central America. One small flying-squirrel, the Polatouche is found in Northeast Russia 
and Siberia. It flies from tree to tree with immense bounds, assisted by the " floats " on its 
sides. Though only six inches long, it can cover distances of 30 feet and more without diffi- 
culty. Wherever there are birch forests this little squirrel is found. One nearly as small is a 
native of the Southern states of 
America, ranging as far south as 
Guatemala. 

In Africa, south of the Sa- 
hara, the place of the Oriental fly- 
ing-squirrel is taken by a separate 
family. They have a different ar- 
rangement of the parachute from 
that of the flying-squirrels of India. 
This wide fold of skin is supported 
in the Asiatic squirrels by a carti- 
lage extending from the wrist In 
the South African flying-squirrels 
this support springs from the elbow, 
not from the wrist; they have also 
homy plates on the under-surface 




BLACK FOX-SQUIRREL 
Tki/itr ofthit tpecits is as valuabit as that oftiU grty sjuirrti 



[irsnhiHgt0n 



I50 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



^^^7« -* / *JK ' 



LONG 



TAILED MARMOT 



Thi marmots /rvr fy fr%fer%nce on high and cold monntaint just Mow the Un* 
cf ttemal snow in Europe, In Asia, wJUrt tkt snowline is higher^ tkvf art found 
at altitudes of 12^000 fett 



of the tail. Many of the tropical fly- 
ing-squirrels are quite large animals, 
some being as large as a small cat. 
Mr. W. H. Adams says of Pel's 
1 ^ ^m0^ \ Flying-squirrel, a West African 

^ ^PwLW^^:^^ ^,^ I species: "These squirrels come out 

[^ . ^W^**^^W^:^^'Mi^. \ of their holes in the trees some hours 

1^^ m^ -^ ^ ^ ' ^^^^ sunset, and return long before 

^HB _^Hik iV^^^l^^l^^'^^^^^ daybreak. They are only visible on 

^^^ ^^^^^j^ ^^i^^^^^9^^^^^^ I bright moonlight nights. The na- 

tives say that they do not come out 
of their holes at all in stormy weather, 
or on very dark nights ; they live on 
berries and fruits, being especially 
fond of the palmoil nut, which they 
take to their nests to peel and eat. 
They pass from tree to tree with 
great rapidity, usually choosing to 
jump from a higher branch to a 
lower one, and then climbing up again to make a fresh start. . . . They litter about twice 
in a year, once in September. The young remain in the nest for about nine weeks, during 
which they are fed by the old ones on such food as shoots and kernels. They do not attempt to 
jump or * fly ' till the end of that period, extending the length of their jumps with their growth." 

The Ethiopian Spiny Squirrels have coarse spiny fur ; the little Indian Palm-squirrel 
is marked with longitudinal dark and light stripes on the back; others have light bands on 
their flanks. 

The Ground-squirrels. 

Many tree-living squirrels pass a good deal of their time on the ground ; but there are 
others which burrow like mice, and, though they climb admirably, prefer to make their nest, and 
the regular squirrel's store of nuts, in the earth, and not in the branches. The best known is the 
little Chipmunk of the United States, a favourite pet of many American children. There are 
many kinds of chipmunks, all of which have pouches in their cheeks for carrying food. The 
commonest is the Striped Chipmunk. It is from 8 to lo inches long, with white stripes, 
bordered with dark brown on each side. The chipmunks' hoards of grain and nuts are so large 
that the Indians used to rob them in times of scarcity. There is also a ground-squirrel in 
Northern Europe and Northern Asia with much the same habits as the chipmunk. 

The burrows of the chipmunks are deep and extensive, and into them these rodents convey 
such quantities of grain and maize as to inflict considerable loss on the farmer. The Siberian 
Ground-squirrel has been known to conceal 8 lbs. weight of corn in its hole. This has a 
sleeping-chamber at the end, filled with moss and leaves, on which the family sleep. From this 
side passages are dug, all leading to chambers stocked with food, often far in excess of the wants 
of these provident little creatures. The surplus stores are said to be eaten in the spring by wild 
boars and bears. 

The Prairie-dogs and Marmots. 

Between squirrels which live in holes in the ground and the marmots and their relations no 
great gap is found. These creatures drop the climbing habit and increase that of burrowing. In 
disposition most of them are still very squirrel-like, though they gain something in solemnity of 
demeanour by never going far from their holes. A prairie-dog or marmot is like a squirrd 




2 



§ 



I 

E 



1. 









5 -5 



I 






Q 

V 



I 

■o. 



THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 151 

which has left society and settled down in a suburb. The little creatures known in America as 
Prairie-dogs have in Northern Europe and the steppes of Asia some first cousins, called 
Susliks. Both live in colonies, burrow quickly and well, feed on grass, and have a habit of sit- 
ting bolt upright outside their holes, keeping a lookout for enemies. The prairie-dogs also bark 
like a little dog when alarmed. Before going to sleep, the latter always carry the dry grass on 
which they slept out of their burrow, and carefully bite up into short lengths a fresh supply to 
make their beds. The susliks and prairie-dogs are of a khaki colour, like the sand in which they 
delight to burrow. Every one has heard that the little burrowing-owls live in the same holes in 
company with the prairie-dogs, and that the rattlesnake sometimes eats both the young prairie- 
dogs and the young owls. An acquaintance of the writer who had killed a rattlesnake actually 




^ ptrmhihn •/tht Nno Y^rk Z—hgieal Sttttf 

PRAIRIE-DOGS, OR MARMOTS 

A WMU cbaracwisttc ficturt. It shows tb* prairu-dogs* method 0/ holding their food while they eat, or cutting up grass to wiake their beds 



took a young prairie-dog from its mouth. The snake had not struck it with the poison, but had 
begun to swallow it uninjured. It was still alive, and recovered. 

The suslik was once found in England ; its remains, with those of other steppe animals, are 
found in the river gravels and brick earth in the London basin. The prairie-dogs form a kind 
of connecting-link between the susliks and the true marmots. They have short ears, short tails, 
rounded bodies, and possess great powers of digging. When a prairie-dog has nothing better to 
do, it usually spends its time either in digging holes or in cutting up grass or anything handy to 
make its bed with. Young prairie-dogs are not so large as a mouse when born. The adult 
animals feed almost entirely on grass and weeds in their wild state ; they seem quite independent 
of water, and able to live in the driest places. 

The Alpine Marmot is a much larger spedes than the prairie-dog. It lives on the Alps 
just below the line of perpetual snow. From five to fifteen marmots combine in colonies, dig 
very deep holes, and, like tiie prairie-dogs, carefully line them with grass ; they also store up dry 



152 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 

grass for food. In autumn they grow veiy fat, and are then dug-out of the turrows by the 
mountaineers for food. Young marmots used to be tamed and carried about by the Savoyard 
boys, but this practice is now rare. The monkey is probably more attractive to the public than 
the fat and sleepy marmot. Marmots are about the size of a rabbit, and have close iroa-gray fur. 

Tschudi, the naturalist of the Alps, says of the marmots that they are the only mammal 
which inhabits the region of the snows. No other warm-blooded quadrupeds live at such an 
altitude. In spring, when the lower snows melt, there are generally small pieces of short turf 
near their holes, as well as great rocks, precipices, and stones. Here they make their burrows, 
outside which they feed, with a sentinel always posted to warn them of the approach of the eagle 
or lammergeir. The young marmots, from four to six in number, are born in June. When they 
first appear at the mouth of the holes, they are bluish gray ; later the fur gains a brownish tint. 
The burrows are usually at a height of not less than 7,000 or 8,000 feet. Winter comes on 
apace. By the end of autumn the ground is already covered with snow, and the marmots retire 
to sleep through the long winter. As they do not become torpid for some time, they require 
food when there is none accessible ; this they store up in the form of dried grass, which they cut 
in August, and leave outside their burrows for a time to be turned into hay. 

The Alpine Marmot is also found in the Carpathians and the Pyrenees. Another species, 
the BoBAC, ranges eastward from the German frontier across Poland, Russia, and the steppes of 
Asia to Kamchatka. In Ladak and Western Tibet a short-tailed species, the Himalayan 
Marmot, is found, sometimes living at a height of nearly 17,000 feet. The Golden Marmot is 
found in the Pamirs. 



The Beavers. 

The Beavers are classed as the last family of the squirrel-like group of the Rodents, and the 
largest creatures of that order in the northern hemisphere. The value of their fur has caused 
their destruction in great measure where they were once numerous, and has led to their total 
extirpation where there is evidence that they existed as a not uncommon animal. They were 
formerly distributed over the greater part of Europe. In England semi-fossilised remains show 

that they were not uncommon. In 
Wales beavers* skins were mentioned 
in the year 940 in the laws of Howel 
Dha, and in 11 88 Giraldus stated that 
they were living on the river Teify, 
in Cardiganshire. Beavers were for- 
merly found in France, especially on 
the Rhone, where a few are still said 
to survive, in Germany, Austria, Rus- 
sia, Poland, and in Sweden and Nor- 
way, on the rivers Dwina and Pet- 
chora, and on the great rivers of 
Siberia. A few still remain in two 
districts of Norway, and some were 
known to frequent the Elbe in 1878. 
The Moldau, in Bohemia, is also 
credited with a colony ; but parts of 
the Danube are believed to be the 
chief haunt of the European beaver 
AMERICAN BEAVER at the present time. The American 

TU atbmriv fist. ofA» iu^., » J^>f .««-« anJfirmi^ fcoU, ^ ^ leaver, though its range has greatly 
rttUt tcbmnmntt frfinud tj lh>»g Mmsli Contracted, is still sufficiently numer- 





153 



154 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




ous for its fur to be a valuable 
item in the winter fur-sales. 

The beaver's tail is flattened 
like a paddle and covered with 
scales; its hind feet are webbed 
between the toes ; it has sharp 
claws, which aid it in scratching 
up mud, and a thick, close fur, 
with long brown hair above, and 
a most beautiful and close under- 
fur, which, when the long hairs 
have all been removed, forms the 
beaver fur of which hats were 
once made, and trimmings for 
ladies' jackets and men's fur coats 
are now manufactured. There are 
two separate lines of interest in 
connection with the animal — pol- 
itical and zoological. The value of the fur was anciently such that, when the first French 
•explorers began to search the Canadian lakes, and later when the Hudson Bay Company suc- 
ceeded to the French dominion, the history of Canada was largely bound up with beaver-catch- 
ing and the sale of the skins. In the early days of the Company the " standard of trade " of 
the Northwest was a beaver skin. For nearly a century the northern territories were organised, 
both under French and English rule, with a view to the beaver trade. The beaver was, and is, 
the crest of the Canadian Dominion. 

The beavers' engineering feats have for their object to keep up a uniform depth of water in 
the streams where they live. On large rivers there is always enough water for the beaver to 
swim in safety from its enemies, and to cover the mouth of the hole which it makes in the 
bank, just as a water-rat does. But on small streams, especially in Canada, where during the 



PAir* br C, Rfidl 



This is a photograph of 4 twimmng beaver, 
eddy in the 



BEAVER 

Note the advamt^e it has taken of the 



winter the frost prevents the 
springs from running, there is 
always the danger that the 
water may fall so low that the 
beavers would be left in shal- 
low water, a prey to the wol- 
verine, wolf, lynx, or human 
-enemies. To keep up the 
water, the beavers make a 
<iyke or dam across the 
stream. This they go on 
building up and strengthen- 
ing until they have ponded 
back a large pool. In time, 
as they never seem to stop 
adding to their dam, the pool 
floods the ground on either 
side of the stream and makes 
a small lake. It flows over 
the parts of the bank where 
their holes are ; these also be- 




Fh%f fy Dr. R, IV, Shn/tldt] llf^ashingttn 

MUSK-RAT 
jf small looter rodentf a native of our rivers. Immense numbers are killed far tbe sake of 

tJkeir fur 



THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 155 



come filled up, because the beavers carry into them every day fresh quantities of wood-chips to 
make their beds. The beavers then scrape out the earth on the top, pile sticks over this, plaster 
the sticks with mud, and so build a dome over their bedroom. In time this is raised higher and 
higher, the artificial lake rises too, and the complete " beaver-lodge " surrounded with water is 
seen. The old trappers who found these in situ imagined they were built at once and outright 
in the water. The experiments and observations at Leonardslee, in Sussex, where Sir E.G.Loder 
has kept beavers in a stream for ten years, show that the " evolution " of the lodge is gradual and 
only incidental. But the building of the dyke, the cutting of the trees, and the making of the 
pool are done with a purpose and definite aim. 

What this is, and how done, is explained in the following description of the beaver colony 
at Leonardslee : " Their first object was to form in the brook a pool, with water maintained 
at a constant height, to keep the mouth of their burrow in the bank submerged during 
the droughts of summer. To this end they build a dam, as good a specimen of their work 
as can be seen even in Canada. Its situation was carefully chosen. A small oak, growing 
on what appears to have 
been a projection in the 
bank, gives support to the 
work. It may be con- 
cluded that this was part 
of their intention ; for 
though they have cut 
down every other tree in 
their enclosure to which 
they had access, except 
two or three very large 
ones, they have left this 
small tree which supports 
the dam untouched. 
(Later, when the dyke was 
stronger, they cut it down.) 
Above this stretches the 
dam, some 1 2 yards wide, 
and rising 5^4 feet from 
the base to the crest. The 
beavers build it solidly of 
battens of alder, willow, 

larch, and other straight-limbed trees, cut into lengths of from 2 to 3 feet. The bark of each 
was carefully gnawed off for food ; and the whole work, constructed of these cut and peeled 
logs, has a very regular and artificial appearance. Smaller twigs and sticks are jammed in 
between the battens, and the interstices are stuffed with mud, which the beavers bring up from 
the bottom of the pool in their mouths, and push in with their feet, making the whole structure 
as water-tight as a wall." This dam converted what was a narrow brook into a long lake, some 
50 yards by 15 or 20 yards broad. Later the beavers made another larger dam below this, 
cutting down some more trees. One tree gave them a great deal of trouble ; it was a beech, 40 
leet high, and hard to gnaw ; so they waited till the water rose round it, and then dug it up. 
When the large dam was made, quite a considerable lake was formed below the first They 
then neglected their first dam, and let the water run out of the top lake into the lower one 
At the time of writing there are five old beavers and a family of young ones at Leonardslee. 
The work done by these beavers, so few in numbers, shows how large colonies may alter the 
course of rivers. 




GAMBIAN POUCHED RAT 

Tkest rats art abU to carry food in their cheek-pouches^ which are used as pockets 



156 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The Dormice. 

There are a considerable number of animals, even here, which hibernate. Most of these 
feed largely on insect food, which in winter is unobtainable in any great quantity. Conse- 
quently the hedgehog and the badger, which live largely on snails and worms, go to sleep in the 
famine months. So does the sleepiest of all — ^the Dormouse. This alone would show that this 
little rodent probably feeds on insects very largely, for if it only ate nuts and berries it could 
easily store these, and find a good supply also in the winter woods. It has been recently proved 
that dormice are insectivorous, and will eat aphides, weevils, and caterpillars. But a dormouse 
hibernates for so long a time that one might imagine its vitality entirely lost ; it sleeps for six 
months at a time, and becomes almost as cold as a dead animal, and breathes very slowly and 
almost imperceptibly. Mr. Trevor-Battye says that if warmed and made to awaken suddenly in 

the winter it would die in a minute or two, its 
heart beating very fast, " like a clock running 
down." Before their hibernation dormice grow 
very fat There is a large species, found in 
Southern Europe, which the Romans used to 
eat when in this fat stage. In winter dormice 
usually seek the nest of some small bird, and 
use it as a sleeping-place. They pull out and 
renew the lining, or add a roof themselves. Into 
the interior they carry a fresh supply of moss, 
and sleep there in great comfort. Their great 
enemy at this time is the weasel. There are two 
main groups of the dormice, divided by natural- 
ists in reference to the structure of their stomach. 
The South African Graphiures have short tufted 
tails. The hibernating habit is confined to the 
more northern species. 

The Mouse Tribe. 

This family, which includes the Mice, Rats, 
and Voles, contains more than a third of the 
number of the whole order of Rodents. Some are 
arboreal, others aquatic ; but most are ground- 
living animals and burrowers. The number of 
known species has been estimated at 330. Among 
the most marked types are the Water-mice of 
Australia and New Guinea, and of the island 
of Luzon in the Philippines. The feet of the 
Australian species are webbed, though those of 
the Philippine form are not. The Gerbils form another group, mainly inhabitants of desert 
districts. They have very large eyes, soft fur, and tails of various length and form in different 
species. They have greatly developed hind legs, and leap like jerboas, and are found in Southern 
Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Philippine Rats, large and long-haired, and the Tree-mice of 
Africa south of the Sahara, form other groups. A very mischievous race of rodents is repre- 
sented in Europe by the Hamsters, and in America by a closely allied group, the White- 
footed Mice. 

The Hamsters. 

The Hamster is a well-known European species, and represents the group of pouched rats. 




Phf fy A, S. RudUnd » S»nt 

POCKET-GOPHER 

TAi pocket-gophers are almost entirely subterranean, Thdr 
Arrowing powers are remarkable. The teeth at well as elaws 
are used to aid them 



THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 157 




Pfuf Ij A. S. RudUnA » S»nt 

LONG-EARED JERBOA 
Tbtu eurious Unit aniwudt are mainly desert creatures, Tbty 
a series of leaps 



h 



These creatures have cheek-pouches to 
aid them in carrying food. In addition 
they are most voracious and inquisitive, 
so that the hamster is a type throughout 
Central Europe of selfishness and greed. 
We are sorry to add that John Bull 
occasionally appears in German cartoons 
as the " Land-hamster," or land-grabber. 
Hamsters are numerous from the Elbe 
to the Obi. They burrow and make 
cellars in the corn- and bean-fields, and 
convey thither as much as a bushel of 
grain. As soon as the young hamsters 
can shift for themselves, each moves off, 
makes a separate burrow, and begins to 
hoard beans and corn. As the litter 
sometimes contains eighteen young, the 
mischief done by the hamster is great. 
Its coloration is peculiar. The fur, which 
is so thick as to be used for the linings 
of coats, is a light yellowish brown 
above. A yellow spot marks each cheek. The lower surface of the body, the legs, and a band 
on the forehead are black, and the feet white. Thus the hamster reverses the usual natural 
order of colour in mammals, which tends to be dark on the back and light below. The animal 
is 10 inches long, and very courageous. Hamsters have been known to seize a horse by the 
nose which stepped on their burrow, and at all times they are ready to defend their home. 
Besides vegetables and corn, they destroy smaller animals. They spend the winter in a more 
or less torpid state in their burrows, but emerge early in spring. They then make their summer 
burrows and produce their young, which in a fortnight after birth are able to begin to make a 
burrow for themselves. 

Among the South American members of the group to which the hamster belongs are the 
FiSH-EATiNG Rats, with webbed hind feet The Rice-rat, which is found from the United States 
to Ecuador, lives on the Texas 
prairies much as do the prairie- 
marmots, though its burrows 
are not so extensive, and often 
quite shallow. In these the 
rats make beds of dry grass. 

The Voles. 

The Voles are allied to 
the preceding groups, but are 
marked externally by a shorter 
and heavier form than the 
typical rats and mice. Their 
ears are shorter, their noses 
blunter, their eyes smaller, 
and the tail generally shorter. 
They are found in great num- 
bers at certain seasons, when 




FKm fy A, S. RudUnd » S»m$ 

CAPE JUMPING-HARE 

This animal is very common in South Africa, The Boers call it the « SfHmgbaat ** 



158 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




fh»f hj A, 8, RuiUni V S»nt 

OCTODONT 

Jbir oetoJontf to ealUd because tbey have four molar teeth on each side oftbtjmo 

are a group of rodents found mainly in South America 



they often develop into a pest. The 
Short-tailed Field-vole is respon- 
sible for much destruction of crops in 
Europe, One of the latest plagues of 
these animals took place in the Low- 
lands of Scotland, where these voles 
devoured all the higher pastures on 
the hills. Nearly at the same time 
a similar plague occurred in Turkish 
Epirus. When a special commis- 
sioner was sent to enquire into the 
remedies (if any existed) there in 
use, he found that the Turks were 
importing holy water from Mecca to 
sprinkle on the fields affected. The 
Bank-vole is a small English species, replaced on the Continent by the Southern Field-vole. 

The Water-rat belongs to the vole group. It is one of the most commonly seen of all 
American mammals — probably, except the rabbit, the most familiar. Although not entirely 
nocturnal, it prefers the darkness or twilight ; but whenever the visitor to the waterside keeps 
still, the water-rats will allpw him to watch them. The writer has had rather an extensive 
acquaintance with these cousins of the beavers, and, while watching them, has never ceased to be 
struck with their close resemblance to those creatures. At Holkham Lake, in Norfolk, he no- 
ticed a willow-bush, in which a number of twigs had been gnawed off"; and then saw the missing 
sticks lying neatly peeled, just like " beaver-wood," in the water below. Waiting quietly, he 
noticed a water-rat climb into the bush, gnaw off* a willow twig, descend with it to the edge of 
the water, and there, sitting on some crossed boughs, peel and eat the bark, just as a beaver does. 
By rivers a sound is often heard in the round reeds as of something tearing or biting them ; 
it is made by the water-rats getting their supper. The rat cuts off" three or four sedges and 
makes a rough platform. It then cuts down a piece of one of the large round reeds full of pith, 
and, holding it in its hands, seizes the bark with its teeth, and shreds it up the stem, peeling it 
from end to end. This exposes the white pith, which the rat then eats. Water-rats have been 
seen to swim out and pick up acacia blossoms float- 
ing on the water. When swimming under water, each 
hair is tipped by a little bubble, which makes the rat 
look like quicksilver. When it comes out, the rat 
shakes itself with a kind of shiver, throwing all the 
water off* its coat. Though so good a swimmer, its 
feet are not webbed. It is found from Scotland to 
the Bering Sea, but not in Ireland. 

In the Far North the Lemming takes the place of 
the voles. It is a very small, short-tailed creature, like 
a diminutive prairie-dog. Like the voles, lemmings 
have seasons of immoderate increase. They then 
migrate in enormous flocks, and are said never to 
stop till they reach the sea, into which they plunge. 
It is believed that they are following an inherited 
instinct, and that where there is now sea there once 
was land, over which they passed onwards. 

The Musk-rat inhabits the same waters as the 
beaver of North America. It makes a honse, generally 




[iitt^h Fintht^ 



PkiU by L. Miilamd, F,Z.S.\ 

COYPU 

This is a large aquarie rodent, found on the South 
American rivers. Its firr, taiied ^'murM,** Jmm m 
vahsahle export from Argeminm 



THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 159 




fhtf fy J, S, RudUmd Gr S»m$ 

SHORT-TAILED HUTIA 

Tkt butias are another group of octodontSf found in the H^est Iu£^ 
Islands 



of reeds piled in a mound, in the lakes and 
swamps. The body is only 12 inches long, 
but the fur is thick and close, and much used 
for lining coats and cloaks. The vast chains of 
rivers and lakes in Canada make that country 
the favourite home of the musk-rat. This crea- 
ture lives upon roots of aquatic plants, fresh- 
water-mussels, and stems of juicy herbs. Be- 
sides making the domed houses of grass, reeds, 
and mud, it also burrows in the banks of 
streams. There it makes rather an elaborate 
home, with numerous passages leading to the 
water. The odour of musk is very strong even 
in the skin. The tail is narrow and almost 
naked. This species is the largest of the vole 
group. 

The Typical Rats and Mice. 

These animals were originally an Old 
World group. Though the brown rat is now 
common in America, it is believed to have 
come originally from China. 

A very large number of animals are now almost dependent on man and his belongings* 
Such creatures are said to be " commensalistic," or eaters at the same table. They are often 
very unwelcome guests, whether they are flies, sparrows, or cockroaches ; but probably the least 
welcome of all are the rats and mice. The Brown Rat is the best known of any. It has come 
into worse repute than usual of late, because it is now certain that it harbours the plague-bacillus,, 
and communicates the disease to man. Its habits and appearance need no description. The 
Black Rat is the older and smaller species indigenous in Europe, which the brown rat has 
almost extirpated from England. A few old houses still hold the black rat, and there are always 
a few wild ones at the Zoological Gardens which feed in the animals' houses. The Black-and- 
white Rat (not the albino white rat) kept tame in this country is probably a domesticated form 
of the Alexandrine Rat of Egypt. 

The House-mouse is now found in all parts 
of the world to which Europeans have access. 
In England its main home is in the corn-ricks. 
Were the farmers to thresh the grain, as is done in 
the United States, as soon as it is cut, mice would 
be far less common. Besides these parasitic mice, 
there are a host of field- and forest-mice in this 
and other countries. One of the best-known Eng- 
lish species is the Harvest-mcJuse, which makes 
a globular nest of grass in the wheat-fields, at- 
tached to stems of corn or weeds. In this the 
young are born. In winter the mouse lives in 
holes in banks, and lays up a store of kernels 
and grain. The Wood-mouse is larger than the 
former, or than the House-mouse. It is yellow- 
ish brown in colour, lays up a great store of 
winter food, and is itself the favourite prey of the 
weasel. 




Bj ftrmhthm •ftht H«n. H^alur R9tksckild^ Trimg 

PORCUPINE 

TAi common fortupint is found in North Amurkm, Itafyp, 
Spain^ and North Africa 



l6o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Ph$tt bj J. 5. kudUnd V S*ni 

PORCUPINE 

Tkis photograpk thotui the arrangement of the percupiMe^s defense of 
spines f hut %uhen frightened it erects these, so as to form a complete protection 
to the hody 



The Bandicoot. 
A very mischievous class of rats is 
represented by the various species of 
Bandicoot. They are found throughout 
Southern Asia as far as Ceylon, and in 
Kashmir and Turkestan. The Bandi- 
coot-rat of India is a large and de- 
structive species which is sometimes 
brought to the London docks in ships, 
but has not spread into the country. 

Other Murine Rodents. 
Among the numerous other rodents 
allied to the rat group are the Mole- 
rats, with short mole-like bodies. The 
largest is the Great Mole-rat, found in 
Southeastern Europe, Southwestern Asia, 
and Northeastern Africa. It is a sub- 
terranean creature, burrowing for food like a mole. The Bamboo-rats have minute eyes, small 
external ears, and a short tail partly covered with hair. In Somaliland a small, almost naked 
Sand-rat is found, which burrows in the sand of the desert, throwing up little heaps like 
mole-hills. 

The Gophers. 

In North and Central America the Pocket-gophers form a curious group of small rodents 
with cheek-pouches opening on the outside. They spend their entire existence underground, 
and are said to use their incisor teeth as picks to open the hard earth in their tunnels. They 
push the loosened soil out by pressing it with their chests and fore feet. When a gopher has 
eaten enough to satisfy the immediate calls of hunger, it stores all spare food away in the large 
cheek-pouches. When gophers desire to empty the pouches, they pass their feet along their 
cheeks from behind, and press the food forwards on to the ground. 

The Jerboas, Springhaas, and Jumping-mice. 
The hopping rodents have an immense range, from Southern Europe, through Africa, 

Arabia, India, and Ceylon, and even in the New 
World, where the American Jumping-mouse is 
found throughout the northern part of the con- 
tinent. The latter is only 3 inches long. The 
true Jerboas are mainly found in Africa. All 
these, when excited, move like kangaroos. Their 
main home is the Central Asian steppe region, 
but they are found in Egypt, India, Syria, and 
Arabia. The hind legs are much elongated, the 
fore legs very small, and the body usually of a 
sandy colour. The American jumping-mouse, 
though a very small creature, can cover from 3 to 
5 feet at each leap. It inhabits the beech and 
hard-wood forests. In winter it makes a globular 
nest about 6 inches under the surface of the ground. 
The Cape Jumping-hare forms a family by 
itself, with no near allies. It is of a tawny brown 




[Atfjnt*/ Pttk 



Phil, hj ff\ p, DsmJ*] 

VISCACHA 
Hk Viscaeba forwu colonies like those of the prairie-'degi 
Jound on the pampas south ^tbe La Plata 



It is 



THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS i6l 



colour, becoming almost pure white be- 
low. The tail is long, and carried up- 
right as the animal leaps. The head and 
body are nearly 2 feet long, and the tail 
20 inches. It is found both in the plains 
and mountains of South Africa, where it 
makes deep burrows, in which several 
families live. It is mainly nocturnal. 

The Octodont Family. 

America is the main home of this 
family of rodents, though there are sev- 
eral representatives in Africa. Their name 
is due to the fact that they have four 
molar teeth on each side of the jaw. The 
best-known species is the Coypu, or Nu- 
tria, of South America, an aquatic, fur- 
bearing animal. It is very plentiful in the 
large rivers of that continent, where its fur is a valuable commodity for export. When swim- 
ming, the female coypu carries its young on its back. The coypu is usually 20 inches long, with 
a tail two-thirds of the length of its head and body. The general colour is brown above and 
brownish yellow below. Coypus live in pairs in holes in the river-banks. In the Chonos 
Archipelago they frequent the seashore, and burrow near the beach. 

The HuTiA, another large octodont, is found in the West Indies. There are two species, 
both partly arboreal. The Tuco-tucos, burrowing octodonts of the pampas and the far south of 
the American Continent, are rat-like animals, with large claws and very small eyes and ears. 




Pktf fy tr. p. DMnd9 

CHINCHILLA 

jf small rodent of the Andes^ poiusung vtry loft and valuable gray fur 



The Porcupines. 

These animals are either tree-climbers or ground-dwellers 
America, though one, the Canadian Porcupine, is 
found in the North; the latter are European and 
Asiatic. In Africa they are also common. The 
Canadian porcupine passes nearly all its life in trees^ 
feeding on the leaves; but it has not a prehensile 
tail. The Common Porcupine is abundant in Italy 
(where it is eaten by man), Greece, Spain, and Africa. 
It lives in burrows or among rocks. In India a very 
similar species is found. The head and shoulders of 
these ground-porcupines are not protected by the 
larger sharp spines which guard the rest of their 
bodies. 

The tree-porcupines of the forests of Central 
America have long prehensile tails, and are very 
lightly built. The quills are short, the head 
rounded, and the appearance very different from 
that of the European or African species. The 
common porcupine of Europe and North Africa 
measures about 28 inches in length from the nose to 
the root of the tail. The head, neck, and shoulders 
are covered with short spines and hairs, and the 



The former are found in South 




{Vetting mil 



Ph9t9 fy r»rk Gf #•»] 

AGUTIS 

Tht agutis are ai» a Souib American gremp^ ftmmd ioit Im 
the forest i and en tbe plains 



l62 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Pfff by A. S. RudUnd & 5«r> 

PACA, OR SPOTTED CAVY 

The facas are among the larger rodentty found mainly in the northern fart of 

the South American region 



shoulders and back by a crest of long 
spines, varying from 12 to 15 inches in 
length. The tail also carries spines 

ViSCACHAS AND CHINCHILLAS. 

On the plains of La Plata the com- 
monest large rodent is the Viscacha. It 
assembles in societies like the prairie-dogs, 
but is a much larger animal, from 1 8 inches 
to 2 feet long. Viscachas always set a 
sentinel to give warning of danger. They 
cut every kind of vegetable near and drag 
them to their holes ; they also have a 
habit of picking up and collecting round 
the burrows any object which strikes them 
as curious. Articles lost by travelers, even 
whips or boots, may generally be found 
there. The viscacha belongs to the chin- 
chilla family, but differs much from the 
beautiful creature of the high Andes from which chinchilla fur is taken. The Common Chin- 
chilla is about 10 inches long, and the Short-tailed Chinchilla rather smaller. The exqui- 
site fur is well known. Two other chinchillas are more like hares in appearance. All four 
creatures are found on the Andes. 

The a cutis and Pacas. 
South America also produces a family of rodents not unlike small pigs, but nearer to the 
mouse-deer in general appearance ; they are called Agutis. Mainly forest animals, but living 
also in the plains, they feed on grass, leaves, and plants of all kinds ; they are very swift in their 
movements, and have much the habits of the small South African bucks. The fur is long, olive- 
or chestnut-coloured, and thick. 

The Pacas are allied to the agutis, but are stouter ; they live either in burrows made by 
themselves, or in holes in the banks of rivers, or in old tree-roots. The pacas are spotted and 
rather ornamentally marked; they are found from 
Ecuador to Brazil and Paraguay. 

The Cavies. 

The DiNOMYS, a spotted rodent known by one 
example from Peru, has been thought to form a link 
between the pacas and the cavies, of which the guinea- 
pig is the most familiar and the aquatic capybara the 
largest. The original of our guinea-pig is believed 
to be the Restless Cavy, a small rodent common on 
the plains of La Plata. It is dark blackish, with 
yellowish-gray and white hairs of the domesticated 
species ; and it is suggested that the original of the 
present name was " Guiana pig." This cavy lives in 
thickets rather than in forests or plains. 

The Patagonian Cavy is a larger form, about 
twice the size of our hare. It burrows in the ground, 
and has a gray coat, with yellowish markings on the 
sides. It has been acclimatised successfully in France 




Pfc»f. *7 r*rk 6f 5.n] [S^ttimg Mill 

PACAS, OR SPOTTED CAVIES 

Tkit photograpk, which represents young animals^ thows in 
great perfution the linear arrangement of the itripa 



THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 163 




and England. The flesh is like that of the 
rabbit. 

The Capybara is the largest of all rodents. 
This species is, in fact, a gigantic water guinea- 
pig. It is found in all the great rivers of South 
America, from the Orinoco to the La Plata. 
It swims as well as a water-rat, though it is as 
large as a small pig. It feeds on weeds, water- 
plants, and grass. A capital photograph of 
this animal appears on page 146. 

PiKAS, Hares, and Rabbits. 

The last two families of the Rodents have 
a small pair of rudimentary incisor teeth be- 
hind the large ones in the upper jaw. The 
PiKAS, or Calling-hares, resemble the mar- 
mot tribe in general appearance. Their heads 
are short, their ears rounded, and, being tail- 
less, they still less resemble the common hare ; 
but their dentition marks them as allied. One 
species, about 9 inches long, is found in Si- 
beria ; and another, only 7 inches long, in 
the Rocky Mountains. The former has a 
habit of cutting grass and storing it in small 
stacks outside its hole for winter use; the 
Rocky Mountain species carries its hay into 
its burrows. 
The Hares are a widely distributed group. They are found from the north of Scotland 

(where the gray mountaih species turns white in winter) to the south of India, in South Africa, and 

across the continent of Asia to Japan. The Mountain-hare takes the place of the brown species in 

Scandinavia, Northern Russia, and Ireland ; it is rather smaller, and has shorter ears and hind legs. 
As early as 54 B.C., Caesar, in 

his account of Britain, writes that 

the Common Hare was kept by the 

ancient Britons as a pet, but not 

eaten by them. It was protected by 

the Normans in the second list, or 

schedule, of animals reserved for 

sport. The first list included the 

Beasts of the Forest, the second 

the Beasts of the Chase, of which 

the hare was one of the first. The 

word " chase " has here a technical 

meaning, by which was understood 

an open park, or preserved area, 

midway in dignity between a forest 

and an enclosed park. " Hare parks " 

were also made, perhaps the most 

recent being that made at Bushey 

for the amusement of the sovereign 



FhdU bj Schtlmstk Phtt; C: 

PATAGONIAN CAVY 

Tits Utrgt ipecics of carvy hat been acclimattsed tucceisfully Uth in 

England and in France 




MfftrmUsUn •/ Pffttfr Bumfut] 

WOOD-HARE 
This is ont oftbiform inurmediau between the bans amd rMiu 



[»ew r<r« 



i64 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



when at Hampton Court Palace. The name is often found surviving elsewhere. Near one of 
the large country English seats a walled park of i ,500 acres holds almost all the hares on the 
estate. If these parks and forest laws had not existed at an early date, it is probable that the 
hare would have become very scarce in this country. 

Hares produce their leverets about the middle of April, though in mild seasons they are born 
much earlier. The number of the litter is from two to five. They are placed in a small hollow 
scraped out by the doe hare, but not in a burrow of any kind. 

The instinct of concealment by remaining still is very highly developed in the hares and 
rabbits. They will often " squat" on the ground until picked up rather than take to flight. This 
seems almost a perverted instinct • yet hares often exhibit considerable courage and resource 
when escaping from their enemies. The following is an instance : — A hare was coursed by two 




Ph0f by C. RHd 



WILD RABBITS 



young greyhounds on some marshes intersected by wide ditches of water. It first ran to the side 
of one of these ditches, and doubled at right angles on the brink. This caused the outer dog to 
lose its balance and to fall heavily into the deep and cold water. The hare then made straight 
for the line of walkers, and passed through them, with the other greyhound close behind it. 
The dog reached out and seized the hare by the fur of the back, throwing it down. The hare 
escaped, leaving a large patch of fur in the dog's jaws, doubled twice, and was again seized by 
the second dog, which had come up. It escaped from the jaws of the second pursuer, leapt two 
ditches 1 2 feet wide, and then sat for a moment behind a gate on a small bridge. This use of 
the only cover near caused the dogs to lose sight of it ; they refused to jump the second drain, 
and the hare escaped. 

The Rabbit is too well known to need description either of its habits or appearance. It 
originally came from the countries south of the Mediterranean, but is now common in Northern 
Europe, and has become a pest in Australia and New Zealand. The rabbit breeds when six 
months old, and has several litters in each year. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE BATS AND INSECTEATING MAMMALS. 

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S. 

THESE two groups are really closely allied ; but the bats are generally considered apart, 
on account of their totally different mode of life. Originally, like their more com- 
monplace relatives, they were dwellers upon the earth, or, more correctly, among the 
trees. By gradual modification of the fore limbs, and a corresponding development of folds of 
skin attached thereto, and to the body, they have acquired the power of flight. The cobego, 
to be mentioned presently, gives us a hint of how this may have come about. 

The bats are the only members of the Mammalia which possess the power of true flight. 
The so-called flying-squirrels do not rightly deserve this title, for they have no wings. The 
wings of the bat have been formed by modification of the fore limbs, the finger-bones having 
become excessively lengthened, so as to serve as a support to a thin web of skin extending 
outwards from the body, much as the ribs of an umbrella support the covering. The hand of 
the bat is therefore a quite unique organ. 




Th*u by IV. SavilU-Ktnt^ F.Z.S.] [Cr^dM 

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT-BAT, OR "FLYING-FOX" 
Ttii phuorrMpb shows the ^^fjing'fox^* in its customary resting position, A photograph ofitfying is shown on p^t v of Introduction 

166 



l66 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The wing-membrane serves yet 
another purpose, for its sense of touch 
is exceedingly delicate, enabling even 
blind bats (for bats are not blind usually, 
as is popularly supposed) to avoid 
objects placed in their path. Some 
bats, however, appear to depend also in 
some slight degree upon hearing. The 
sense of touch is still further increased 
by the development of frills or leaf-like 
expansions of skin round the nose and 
mouth, and by the excessive develop- 
ment of the external ears. Delicate 
hairs fringing these membranes proba- 
bly act like the *' whiskers " of the cat. 
Insect-eating bats inhabiting re- 
gions with a temperate climate must in 
winter, when food supplies cease, either 
hibernate or migrate to warmer re- 
gions. The majority hibernate; but 
two species at least of Canadian bats 
perform extensive migrations, it is 
supposed to escape the intense cold. 

The power of flight has made 
the bats independent of the barriers 
which restrict the movements of ter- 
restrial animals, and accordingly we 
find them all over the world, even 
as far north as the Arctic Circle. 
But certain groups of bats have an 
extremely restricted range. Thus the 
Fruit-bats occur only in the warmer 
regions of the Old World, the Vam- 
pires in America, whilst some of the 
more common insect eating forms are found everywhere. Those forms with a restricted 
distribution are, it should be noticed, all highly specialised — that is to say, they have all become 
in some way adapted to peculiar local conditions, and cannot subsist apart therefrom. It is the 
more lowly — less specialised — forms which have the widest geographical range. There are some 
spots, however, on the world's surface from which no bat has yet been recorded — such are Ice- 
land, St. Helena, Kerguelen, and the Galapagos Islands. 




Ph»f fy Htnrj King] [S/dn*f 

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT-BATS 

In tbeir rocsttng-placet these hats bang all over the trees in enormous numberSf 
looking /ike great black fruits, Altbougb sbot in tbousandsy on account of the 
damage tbey do to fruit orchards^ tbeir numbers do not appear to be reduced 



The Fruit-bats. 

These represent the giants of the 
bat world, the largest of them, the 
Kalong, or Malay Fox-bat, measur- 
ing no less than 5 feet from tip to tip 
of the wing. The best known of the 
fruit-bats is the Indian Fox-bat. Sir 
J. E. Tennent tells us that a favourite 
resort of theirs near Kandy, in 




^h%u hy A, S. kuiUni^Stns 

TUBE-NOSED FRUIT-BAT 

The tubular nourOr dtsangutsb tbis and a species of imaou^^aHmg bm 
Bving mamma/t 



HmaM^ 



THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 167 




Ph9f bj Frattllt jtUnari^ 



PIPISTRELLE BAT 

This is one of the commonest haft. It is tke first to appear tn tAe sprtng^ and the last to retire at the /all 0/ the year 



[FUrwnto 



Ceylon, was some india-rubber-trees, " where they used to assemble in such prodigious numbers that 
large boughs would not infrequently give way beneath the accumulated weight of the flock." An 
observer in Calcutta relates that they occasionally travel in vast hordes, so great as to darken the 
sky. Whether they are performing some preconcerted migration or bent only on a foray to some 
distant feeding-ground is a matter for speculation. These hordes are quite distinct from the *' long 
strings " which may be seen every evening in Calcutta on their way to neighbouring fruit-trees. 

One of the most remarkable of this group is the Tube-nosed Fruit-bat, in which the 
nostrils are prolonged into a pair of relatively long tubes. Strangely enough, a group of insect- 
eating bats has developed similar though smaller tubes. Except in these bats, such tubes are 
unknown among mammals. Their function is not known. 



Some, 



Insect-eating Bats. 

The vast majority of the bats comprising this group feed exclusively on insects, 
however, have acquired the habit of 
fruit-eating, like the true fruit-bats; 
and a few have developed quite ogre- 
like habits, for they drink blood — 
indeed, they subsist upon nothing else. 
This they obtain from animals larger 
than themselves. 

Many of the bats of this group 
have developed curious leaf-like expan- 
sions of skin around the nose and mouth, 
which are supposed to be endowed 
with a very delicate sense of touch. 
In some, as in the Flower-nosed Bat, 
the nose-leaf is excessively developed, 
forming a large rosette. The upper 
border of this rosette is furnished with 
three stalked balls, the function of 

which it is surmised is probably orna- ' *'* ^ ''' *' **"' ^*^ */*"' 

^ 1 r ^u u 4.» • *. r • leaf-nosed BAT 

mental — from the bat s point of view. n r r j .s, s t- u - j r n l l ^z .1. 

, '^ The teaf-noud are the most highly organtsed of aJl the hats. The remsrkM§ 

To our more aesthetic taste the whole Ua/^ike f^lds of skin anmnd the nou or chin, as the case may he, serug at i 
effect is hideous. prgans of perception. There are nttmirous tpecies ofleaf-nosU bati 




i68 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Limited as is our space, we cannot pass over the Sucker-footed Bats. These are met 
with» strangely enough, in countries so far apart as Brazil and Madagascar. The suckers from 
which they derive their name, in the Brazilian species, are small circular, hollow disks, attached 
to the thumb and the sole of the foot, recalling the suckers of the cuttle-fish and brown water- 
beetle. By their means the animal is enabled to climb over smooth vertical surfaces. 

A white bat is a rarity in the bat world. We cannot therefore afford to pass without mention 
the fact that Central and South America possess two species of White Bats. This colour is 
probably developed for protection's sake, the bats being found nestling between the silver}' leaves 
of a cocoanut-palm. Bril- 
liant coloration, on the other 
hand, is by no means so rare. 
Welwitsch's Bat, for in- 
stance — a West African spe- 
cies — is remarkable for its 
gorgeous coloration, the col- 
ours being orange and black. 
An Indian species, known as 
the Pointed Bat, is said to be 
so brilliantly coloured as to 
resemble a gorgeous butterfly 
rather than a bat. 

Ugliness is more common 
than beauty amongst the bats, 
and perhaps the ugliest of all 
the tribe is the Naked Bat 
of the Malayan region. It is 
absolutely repulsive. The skin 
is naked, save for a collar of 
hair round the neck ; whilst 
on the throat it gives rise to 
an enormous throat-pouch, 
which discharges an oily fluid 
of a peculiarly nauseating 
smell. On either side of the 
body is a deep pouch, in which 
the young are carried — a very 
necessary provision, for they 
would be quite unable to cling 
to the body of the parent, as do 
the young of fur-bearing bats, 
on account of the naked skin. 

Of the great group of the Vampire-bats we can only make mention of the blood-sucking species. 
These are natives of South America. It is to Dr. Darwin that we owe our first absolutely reliable 
information about these little animals. Before the account in his Journal, it was uncertain to which 
of the vampires belonged the unenviable distinction of being the blood-sucker. During the stay 
of the great naturalist in Chili one was actually caught by one of his servants, as evening was 
drawing on, biting the withers of a horse. In the morning the spot where the bite had been 
inflicted was plainly visible, from its swollen condition. These two species, it has been stated, 
«• are the only bats which subsist entirely on a diet of blood, yet it is possible that . . . some 
of the Javelin-bats or their allies may on occasion vary their ordinary food with it" 




Ph9f fy ff^, SavUlfKemt , F.Z.#.] [Cr^jdt 

COBEGO 
Back view of tk$ cobego^ with tkt limbs ixtended^ showing tkt great tmt of the flying- 

hraneSf or parachuu 



THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 169 



The Insectivora, or Fughtless Insect-eaters. 

Some members of this group have departed from the traditional insect diet. Thus the 
cobego feeds upon leaves, a curious aquatic shrew — the Potamogale of West Africa — upon fish, 
and the moles upon worms. 

The group has a very wide geographical distribution, but there are nevertheless large 
portions of the globe in which they are conspicuous by their absence. They are never found in 
Australia or South America. Madagascar, Africa, and the West India Islands produce the most 

remarkable forms. 

The Cobego. 
This is a peculiarly inter- 
esting animal, which lives in 
the forests of Sumatra, Borneo^ 
the Malay Peninsula, and the 
Philippine Islands. It dwells 
among the trees, moving from 
one to another by taking 
flying leaps through the air^ 
covering as much as seventy 
yards at a jump. Prodigious 
leaps like this would be quite 
impossible but for the fact that 
the animal, which is almost as 
large as a cat, is provided with 
a sort of parachute, formed by 
a broad web of skin stretched 
between the body on either 
side and the fore and hind 
limbs, and between the hind 
limbs and the tail. 

Shrews, Hedgehogs, and 
Tenrecs. 
The variation in form 
presented by the members of 
this group is considerable. 
The most noteworthy ex- 
amples of this variation are 
furnished by the pretty little 
squirrel-like Tree-shrews of 
India and Borneo and neigh- 
bouring lands, the mouse-like Jumping-shrews of Africa, the Hedgehogs, the Tenrecs, the ele- 
gant little MousE-UKE Shrews of almost world-wide distribution, and the Water-shrews. Of 
these, hedgehogs and tenrecs have undergone the greatest transformation. By a curious modi- 
fication of their original hairy covering they have developed a formidable armour of sharp spines. 
When alarmed, the former roll themselves up into a ball by the contraction of powerful muscles, 
and so present an almost impregnable armour to an enemy. Stoats and foxes, however, appear 
at least occasionally to succeed in overcoming this defense and making a meal of the vanquished. 
Tenrecs are found in Madagascar. The Common Tenrec is the largest of all insect-eaters. 




COBEGO 
Vp^sl (front) view of tbo cobego ^ witb newly horn and naked young attached, 
extension of the numhrane between the toes of the fore feet of the adult 



Note the 



IJO THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




^d one of the most prolific, as many as 
twenty-one having been produced at birth. 
Of all living mammals it is the one most 
nearly allied to the Marsupials. 

The Moles. 
The Common Mole shows a most perfect 
adaptation ta its underground mode of life. 
The general form of the animal is long, 
cylindrical, and pointed in front, whilst the 
legs are exceedingly short, the foot only in 
the fore limb projecting from the body. This 
foot is very broad and spade-like and im- 
mensely powerful, its use being to force a way 
— often with incredible speed — through the 
soft, yielding soil, and not to support the body, 
as in running or walking. The hind feet are 
weak, but resemble those of its allies the shrews, 
for instance. The eyes have become reduced 
to mere vestiges, very difficult to find. The fur 
has become so altered in structure that it will lie 
* equally smooth whether brushed towards head 
or tail, so that it should not be damaged when 
the animal travels backwards in its burrow. 
External ears have been dispensed with. 

Worms form the staple diet of the mole, 
but besides underground insects of all kinds 
are greedily devoured. This animal is one of 
the most voracious feeders, falling ravenously 
upon its prey. It has been said with truth that 

so great is the ferocity displayed by the mole that if it could be magnified to the size of the lion it 

v/ould be one of the most terrible of living creatures. That a constant supply of food is necessary 

to satiate its enormous appetite is shown 

by the Cact that a mole will succumb to 

an abstinence of from ten to twelve hours. 

Moles fight among themselves furiously ; 

and :i two are confined together, the 

weaker will be attacked and devoured. 

They take readily to the water, and in- 
stances of moles observed in the act of 

crossing streams are numerous. 

It is a curious fact, but the mole is 

unknown in Ireland ; yet it ranges from 

England in the west through Asia to 

Japan. 

Careful observation seems to have 

shown that with the common mole p^^u tj l, Maum, f.z.s.\ iN.r,k Fin^hi^ 

, ,, - , THREEBABYHEDGEHOGS 

males are more numerous than females. , ^ , , ,,. j , , ^. . 

. r 1- Touftg kei^ehogs are born band and naked. The spines on tkar fim 

Whether this is true of other species ^^^rance are <fuUe soft ^ tk^ soon kardtn, and at the same tmu the f,nv^ m 

remains to be seen. The moles of North roll the body up into a bail is Mfuired 



Phtt hf TV. SMvHle^KenS, r,Z.8,] [Cr»yd*n 

COBEGO ASLEEP 

^.7 four limbs are uud in suspending itself ^oben asleep^ as in the 
sloths. In this position the cobego closely resembleSf and is mistaken by its 
enemies for^ the fruits of one of the native trees. It is a nocturnal 




THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 171 




Phtf by A. S. Rudland & Stmt 

COMMON MOLE 

Note that this mole is changing its coat 



Hittt by Ur. Savill0'Ktnt^ F.Z.S.] [Cvydti 

COMMON MOLE 

The skeleton is here revealed by the R9ntgen rays 



America form a group distinct from those of the Old World, though closely allied thereto. 
The Web-footed and the Star-nosed Moles are the most interesting of the American forms. 

Speaking of the prodigious speed with which these animals burrow their way through the 
ground, Dr. Hart Merriam remarks that in a single night, after rain, they have been known to 
make a gallery several yards in length, and that he had himself traced a fresh tunnel for nearly a 
hundred yards. As he says, we can only appreciate the magnitude of this labour by comparison, 
and " computation shows that, in order to perform equivalent work, a man would have to exca- 
vate in a single night a tunnel thirty-seven miles long, and of sufficient size to easily admit of the 
passage of his body." 

The star-nosed mole is peculiar in that its nose is surrounded by a ring of finger-like proc- 
esses, forming a kind of rosette, which probably acts as a highly sensitive organ of touch ; 
furthermore, it differs from other moles in the great length of its tail, which is nearly as long as 
its body. Like the mole, this species makes its way through the ground with great speed. 

Beneficial as moles undoubtedly are in destroying worms and obnoxious insects, yet they 
are regarded as a pest both by the farmer and gardener. That there is some justification for this 
dislike must be admitted ; for the farmer suffers in that, in the search for food, crops are damaged 
by cutting through the roots of plants — the gardener not only for the same reason, but also 
because the ridges and hillocks which they make in their course disfigure the paths and beds of 
a well-kept garden. 

The nearest allies of the moles are the curious aquatic Desmans of Russia, and the Shrews. 



some of which are 
form, owing to their 
similar mode of 
The BuRROw- 
the onlyforms in the 
have assumed a 
allied to the hedge- 
is a remarkable 
the Golden Mole. 
of the body of this 
instance of adapta- 
mode of life. The 
golden mole is 
claws^ which are 
purposes ; the hand 
out spade-like, as in 
the claws rendering 




Phtf fy A. 5. Rudland V S»n$ 

GOLDEN MOLE 

This is found only in South Africa, The name is derived from the VfonderfiJ 
metallic lustre of the fur : the kriUiancy of the hues is intensified by m 
in sfirit 



quite mole-like in 
having adopted a 
life. 

ING Shrews are not 
great group which 
mole-like shape, for 
hog-like Tenrecs 
animal known as 
The molelike shape 
animal is another 
tion to a similar 
fore limb of the 
provided with huge 
used for digging 
is not broadened 
the common mole, 
this unnecessary. 



CHAPTER XL 

THE ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, AND RHINOCEROS. 



THE ELEPHANT. 




A' 



on 



BY F. C. SELOUS. 

T once the mightiest and most majestic of all terrestrial 

mammals, the elephant appeals to the imagination 

more forcibly than any other living animal, not only 

account of its great sagacity and the strangeness and 

singularity of its outward appearance, but also because it is such 

an obvious link between the world of to-day and the dim and 

distant past of Pleiocene and Miocene times. 

There are two existing species of elephant, the African and 
the Asiatic, the latter, from the structure of its molar teeth and 
the shape of its skull, appearing to be very nearly related to the 
Mammoth, which lived upon the earth in comparatively recent 
times — geologically speaking — and was undoubtedly contem- 
porary with man in Europe during the Stone Age. 

There are very considerable differences both in the external 
appearance and also in the habits of the two existing forms of 
elephant. In the African species the forehead is more convex 
and the eye relatively larger than in its Asiatic cousin; and 
whilst the ears of the latter are only of moderate size, those of 
the former are so large that they at once arrest the attention, 
and are one of that animal's most remarkable external character- 
istics. Both sexes of the African species, with few exceptions, 
carry well-developed tusks, but in the Asiatic form the tusks of 
the females are so small as scarcely to protrude beyond the jaws. 
In Asia, too, tuskless bull elephants are common, whilst males 
of the African species without tusks are extremely rare. The 
latter species has but three nails on the hind foot, the Asiatic 
elephant four. In the African species the middle of the back is 
hollowed, the shoulder being the highest point, whilst in the Asiatic 
elephant the back is arched, and the top of the shoulder lower than the highest part of the back. 
The extremity of the proboscis is also different in the two species, the African elephant being 
furnished with two nearly equal-sized prolongations, the one on the front, the other on the hinder 
margin, with which small objects can be grasped as with the finger and thumb of the human 
hand, whilst in the Asiatic species the finger-like process on the upper margin of the end of the 
trunk is considerably longer than that on the under-side. In external appearance the skin of the 
African elephant is darker in colour and rougher in texture than that of the Asiatic form. The 
molar teeth of the former animal are, too, of much coarser construction, with fewer and lai^er 
plates and thicker enamel than in the latter, which would naturally lead one to suppose that the 

172 



rh9U bj M. E. F. Bairdy Etf, 

A FINE TUSKER 

TAt male InMan elephant kas smaller tuth 
than the African species 



T 




Fh$t»h; FrattlV Allnsri\ 

A YOUNG INDIAN ELEPHANT 
TMt OMiwisI Mat bun trastud to << idlute '* by raistng its trunk Mdfo9t. It kat Uu tkt tmd ofitt tmi 



{^fiwntf 



17+ THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



African elephant is accustomed to eat coarser, harder food than the Asiatic species. This sup- 
position is borne out by fact ; for whilst the Asiatic elephant feeds mainly upon grass, the leaves 
and fruit of the wild plantain, and the young shoots of the bamboo, together with the leaves, 
twigs, and bark of certain trees, the African species never eats grass, and, although very fond of 
certain kinds of soft and succulent food, such as wild fruits and the inner bark of certain trees, 
is constantly engaged in chewing up the roots and branches of trees as thick as a man's wrist for 
the sake of the sap and bark, the woody portions being rejected after having been reduced to 
pulp. The Asiatic elephant appears to be far less tolerant of exposure to the heat of the sun 
than the African ; and whilst the latter may often be found standing at rest or sleeping through- 
out the hottest hours of the day in long grass or scrubby bush of a height not sufficient to afford 
any protection from the sun to the whole of the upper portion of the head and body, the former, 
when in a wild state, is said to always seek the shade of the densest forests it can find during hot 
weather. 

The Asiatic elephant often lies down when resting and sleeping. This is in marked contrast 
to the African species, which, if it ever does lie down at all, except to roll in mud or rub itself 
against an ant-heap, can only do so very rarely, since in all my experience, though I have seen 
some thousands of African elephants standing sleeping during the heat of the day, I have never 
yet seen one of these animals lying down, nor found the impress in the ground where one had 
been so lying. 

When excited and charging, both species of elephant raise their heads and cock their ears» 
which in the African animal stand out at such a time like two sails, and, being each upwards of 
S}4 feet in breadth, cover, together with the animal's head, an expanse of fully lo feet. The 
Asiatic elephant is said to remain mute whilst charging, and to hold its trunk tightly curled up 
between its tusks. The African elephant, on the other hand, usually accompanies a charge with 
a constant succession of short, sharp trumpeting screams. Sometimes, though rarely, however, 
animals of this species remain mute whilst charging, but they never, I believe, coil their trunks 
up under their throats. Often an African elephant will swing round for a charge with a loud 
scream and trunk held high in the air ; but in my experience, when settling down to a chase, it 
drops its trunk and holds it pointi.ig straight down in front of its chest. 

In the southern portions of the 
African Continent the average standing 
height at the shoulder of full-grown bull 
elephants ranges from lo feet to lo feet 6 
inches, though individuals have doubtless 
been met with in those districts which 
have much exceeded these dimensions. In 
North Central Africa the average standing 
height appears to be some inches higher, 
approaching 1 1 feet, and in those districts 
it is quite possible that individuals exist 
which exceed 12 feet in height. African 
cow elephants stand from 8 feet to 8 feet 
6 inches at the shoulder. The Asiatic 
species is considerably smaller than the 
African, the average height of full-grown 
males not exceeding 9 feet, though certain 
individuals now and then attain to a much 

greater size, as is indicated by the fact pk»to h m. e. f. Bairj, c/f. 

that there is a mounted skelton of an THE CHIEF OF CHIENGMAI'S CARRIAGE 
Indian elephant in the Museum at Cal- Tki» -oUtoriawas drawn ^ a young itufUntitpUm 




ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 175 








" 






J*; >*-■ 




PkM»6fM, 


E,K 


Bmird^ 


ht9. 



TIMBER-ELEPHANTS 

r^/i photograph was taken at Lakou, in Upper Siam, Notice the large teak log in the fortf^nmnd, 

cutta which stands 1 1 feet 3 inches at the shoulder. In the size of its tusks the African ele- 
phant far surpasses the Asiatic species. In India a pair of tusks measuring 5 feet in length and 
weighing 70 lbs. the pair would, I think, be considered large, though an elephant was killed by 
Sir Victor Brooke in the Garo Hills with a single tusk measuring 8 feet in length, 17 inches in 
circumference, and weighing 50 lbs., and a few tusks even exceeding these dimensions have been 
recorded. In Southern Africa the tusks of full-grown bull elephants usually weigh from 80 to 
120 lbs. the pair, and measure about 6 feet in length, with a circumference of from 16 to 18 
inches ; but these weights and measurements have often been much exceeded, and in my own 
experience I have known of two pairs of elephants' tusks having been obtained south of the 
Zambesi, each of which weighed slightly over 300 lbs., each tusk measuring upwards of 9 feet in 
length, whilst a single tusk brought from the neighbourhood of Lake Ngami in 1873 weighed 
174 lbs. The average weight of cow-elephant tusks in Southern Africa is from 20 to 30 lbs. the 
pair, but I have seen the tusk of a cow elephant killed in Matabililand which weighed 39 lbs. and 
measured over 6 feet in length, whilst its fellow almost equaled it in size and weight. In North 
Central Africa, according to Sir Samuel Baker, the tusks of full-grown elephants average about 
140 lbs. the pair, and tusks weighing upwards of 100 lbs. each are not at all uncommon, whilst 
many of a much greater size have been obtained. 

Until quite recently a tusk in the possession of Sir E. G. Loder, which weighs 184 lbs. and 
measures 9 feet 5 inches in length, with a circumference of 22 J^ inches, was supposed to be the 
largest in existence; but in 1899 two tusks were obtained near Kilimanjaro, in East Central 
Africa, both of which much exceed this weight. These enormous tusks were at first stated to be 
a pair taken from a single elephant ; but though nearly equal in weight they are said to be differ- 1 
ently shaped, and as their history is not yet fully known it is possible, though hot probable, that 
they originally belonged to two different elephants. The larger of these two tusks has recently 
been purchased for the collection of the British Museum (Natural History), where it may now be 



176 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fh»S9 kj M. £. F, Uirdy £/f . 

FEMALE INDIAN ELEPHANT DRAGGING TEAK 

The teak logs art floated down the Bumuu riven and dragged out by eiefibants 



seen. It weighs 228 lbs., measures 10 feet 2j4 inches on the outside curve, and 24 J^ in girth at 
the thickest part. The tusks of cow elephants are also considerably larger and heavier on the 
average in East Central and North Central Africa than in the southern portions of the continent 

At the present time the Asiatic elephant is found in a wild state in most of the forest- 
covered tracts of India, Ceylon, Assam, Burma, Siam, Cochin-China, Sumatra, and Borneo ; 
whilst the African species, although it has been hunted out of large tracts of country in South 
and Southwestern Africa, still inhabits the greater part of the continent south of the Sahara, and 
in many districts of Central Africa appears to be extraordinarily abundant. In the Cape Colony 
two herds still exist under the protection of the Government. 

As might be expected from the greater length of its legs, and consequent longer stride, the 
African elephant is admitted by those who have had experience of both species to be a more 
active animal than its Asiatic cousin. Speaking of the walking and running powers of the Indian 
elephant, that great authority Mr. Sanderson says that " the only pace of the elephant is the 
walk, capable of being increased to a fast shuffle of about fifteen miles an hour for very short dis- 
tances. It can neither trot, canter, nor gallop. It does not move with the legs on the same 
side, but nearly so. A very good runner might keep out of an elephant's way on a smooth 
piece of turf, but on the ground in which they are generally met with any attempt to escape by 
flight, unless supplemented by concealment, would be unavailing." This description exactly 
coincides with my own experience of the African elephant, except that I think that animals of 
the latter species, especially cows and young bulls, are capable of getting up a pace of at least 
twenty miles an hour, and keeping it up for from 100 to 200 yards, when charging. 



ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 177 

In disposition both African and Asiatic elephants are as a rule timid animals, and, excepting 
in the case of males of the latter species when suffering from sexual excitement, are always 
inclined to shun danger. I have never heard of male elephants of the African species becoming 
savage and aggressive at any season of the year ; indeed, old bulls always appeared to me to be 
less inclined to charge than cows or young bulls. The eyesight of the elephant — of the African 
species at least — is bad, and his hearing not particularly acute ; but his olfactory nerves are prob- 
ably more highly developed than in any other animal, and, aided by this exquisite sense of smell, 
he will avoid a human being if possible. But if elephants are attacked and wounded, they 
become savage and dangerous animals ; and the charge of an African elephant, coming on with 
the great ears outspread, to the accompaniment of a quick succession of short, sharp trumpeting 
screams, besides being very sudden and rapid, is very disconcerting to the nerves of a man unac- 
customed to such experiences. I remember the case of a young Englishman who was killed in 
Matabililand many years ago by the first elephant he had ever seen. This animal — an old bull 
— had retired, after having been wounded, into a small but dense patch of thorn-bush, into which 
its pursuer thought it unadvisable to follow on horseback. He therefore left his horse, and 
advanced on foot towards the cluster of trees amongst which the elephant was concealed. The 
latter, having either seen or smelt the approaching enemy, at once charged out, screaming 
loudly; and the young hunter, instead of standing his ground and firing at the advancing 
monster, lost his presence of mind, and, turning, ran for his horse; but before he reached it he 
was overtaken and killed. It seemed to the friend who found his body (he was close at hand 
shooting another elephant at the time, and pieced the story together from the tracks of man, 
horse, and elephant) that the victim had first been struck in the back of the head by one of his 
pursuer's tu&ks — at any rate his skull had been smashed to pieces and emptied of its brains. 
Then the elephant had rushed upon him where he fell, and, after first having driven a tusk right 
through his chest and deep into the ground, had stamped him into a bloody pulp with his huge 




Fh»u hf M. B. F, Baird^ Btf, 

INDIAN ELEPHANTS BATHING 

Tbese animals love a hath, and will walA on the bottom of a dup river with only their trunh rmud abatfe the toater 



178 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



feet A waggon was brought the same night, and the mangled body carried to the hunter's 
camp on the banks of the Ramokwebani, where it was buried. 

The strength of the elephant is proverbial ; and in India and Burma, where this animal has 
for ages past been trained in the service of man, this power is habitually made use of in moving 
and stacking large baulks of timber, or in dragging heavy guns through muddy ground or up 
steep ascents. In Africa the traveler is often astonished at the size of trees which have been 
uprooted and overturned by elephants. These trees, however, have no tap-root, and have not 
therefore a very firm hold in the ground, especially during the rainy season, when the ground is 
soft. At this time of year large trees are butted down by elephants, which push against their 
stems with the thick part of their trunks, and get them on the swing, until the roots become 
loosened and the trees are at last overturned. Small trees of 2 or 3 inches in diameter, as well 
as branches, they break off with their trunks. In 1878 a tuskless bull elephant — I met the same 
animal again in 1885, and he is the only African bull elephant without tusks I have ever seen — 
killed a native hunter in Mashonaland. This man, a big powerful Zulu and a great friend of my 
own, was torn into three pieces. I imagine that, after having caught him, the elephant held the 
unfortunate man down with his foot or knee, and then, twisting his trunk round his body, tore 
him asunder — surely a terrible exhibition of strength. 

The elephant is a very slow-going and long-lived animal, not arriving at maturity until 
upwards of thirty years of age ; and since cases are on record of elephants having lived for 
upwards of 130 years in captivity in India, it is probable that in a wild state these animals, both in 
Asia and Africa, often attain to an age of 1 50 years. The female elephant produces, as a rule, but 
one calf at birth, the period of gestation lasting from eighteen to nearly twenty-two months. 
The mammae of the cow elephant are placed between the fore legs, and the new-born calf sucks 
with its mouth, holding its trunk turned back over its head. I have seen elephant calves so 
engaged. 

Although there is no reason to doubt that the African elephant is as intelligent as the Asiatic 
species, its domestication has never been attempted by the Negro or Bantu races of Africa. It is 
believed, however, that the African elephant 



was in ancient times domesticated by the 
Carthaginians, and used by them in their wars 
with the Romans. The opinion, too, is gen- 
erally held that the elephants with whichHan- 
nibal crossed the Alps were of the African spe- 
cies, as well as those which, after the conquest 
of Carthage, were used in the Roman amphi- 
theatres and military pageants. On the other 
hand, it is well to remember that the late Mr. 
W. Cotton Oswell, who had had great ex- 
perience both with African and Asiatic ele- 
phants, wrote as follows on this subject : " I 
believe some people suppose the Carthaginians 
tamed and used the African elephant they could 
hardly have had mahouts Indian fashion, for 
there is no marked depression in the nape of 
the neck for a seat, and the hemming, of the 
ears when erected would have half smothered 
them. My^ knowledge does not allow me to 
raise any argument on this point ; but might 
not the same market have been open to the 
dwellers at Carthage as was afterwards to 




Ph*$» 17 J. IT. MtUllan] [Blgkkmrj 

AFRICAN ELEPHANT 

The Hffertntt tn profile htnoun this and the Indian sptcies is notieemhit 
Tbefortbtad is needing and the ears much larger in the African tfedes. 



ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 179 



Mithridates, who, I suppose, 
drew his supply from India? 
I know in the representations 
of elephants on the medals of 
Faustina and of Septimus 
Severus the ears are African, 
though the bodies and heads 
are Indian; but these were 
struck nearly 400 years after 
Carthaginian times, when the 
whole known world had been 
ransacked by the Romans for 
beasts for their public shows ; 
and I still think it possible 
that the Carthaginians — the 
great traders and colonisers 
of old — may have obtained 
elephants through some of 
their colonies from India/' 

An interesting example 
of the intelligence of these 
animals can be seen any 
day at the public Zoological 
Gardens. A large African ele- 
phant restores to his would-be 
entertainers all the biscuits, 
whole or broken, which strike 
the bars and fall alike out 
of his reach and theirs in 
the space between the barrier 
and his cage. He points his 
trunk at the biscuits, and 

blows them hard along the floor to the feet of the persons who have thrown them. He clearly knows 
what he is doing, because, if the biscuits do not travel far enough, he gives them a harder blow. 

TAPIRS AND HYRAX. 

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S. 

Tapirs are odd-looking creatures, and, strange as it may seem, are nevertheless related on 
the one hand to the rhinoceroses, and on the other to the horses. They are furthermore 
extremely interesting animals, because they have undergone less modification of form than any 
other members of the group to which they belong. This we know because fossil tapirs, belonging 
to a very remote period of the world's history, are practically indistinguishable from those now living. 

The general form of the body may perhaps be described as pig-like ; the head, too, suggests 
that animal. But the pig's snout is here produced into a short proboscis, or trunk. The feet are 
quite unlike those of the pig, and resemble those of the rhinoceros. The fore feet have each 
four and the hind feet three toes ; these are all encased in large horse-like hoofs. The tail is 
reduced to a mere stump. 

Tapirs are shy and inoffensive animals, living in the seclusion of dense forests in the neigh- 
bourhood of water, in which element they are quite at home ; indeed, it is said that they will 
frequently dive and walk along the bed of the river. They are also fond of wallowing in mud 




Phttt fy L, Mtdlandy P.Z.S.] [N»rth FluchUf 

MALE AFRICAN ELEPHANT DRINKING 

NoL the great sisu of tbe tusks and hau oftht trunk 



i8o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fhm if} }*rk is Hani 



Tkt largest of all the tapirs. 



MALAYAN TAPIR 

Is easily distinguished from the American tafirs by the patch of 
white on the middle of its body 



partly, it is believed, that they 
may encase themselves with it 
as a protection against the an- 
noyance of flies. They feed 
on shoots of trees, bushes, 
leaves, and fallen fruits, forag- 
ing during the evening, and 
possibly far into the night. 

Tapirs are hunted by the 
natives for the sake of their 
thick hides, which are cut into 
thongs for reins and bridles. 
The flesh also is esteemed 
by some. There are three 
methods of capture. In South 
America the lasso is used with 
occasional success. But when 
not foiled by undergrowth, 
the hunter often loses his 
victim by reason of the vio- 
The Gauchos intercept it with dogs on its way 



lence and force of its rush, which snaps the thong, 
to the water, when it will fight furiously, and many dogs may be killed before its dispatch is accom- 
plished. Others imitate its peculiar, shrill call, and shoot it on its approach in answer thereto. 
Captives are easily tamed, and may be seen walking about the streets in many South American 
towns. They wander into the forest by day, returning in the evening to be fed, and are said to 
display great affection. On account of their great strength, it has been suggested that such cap- 
tives should be used as beasts of burden. 

Except the Malayan Tapir, which is black and white, tapirs are black or dark brown in 
colour, and but scantily clothed with hair; but the young, it is interesting to note, are spotted and 
striped with white or fawn-colour on a dark ground, a coloration recalling that of the wild pig. 

There are five different species of tapir. Their geographical distribution is remarkable, four 
species being South American, and one belonging to the Malayan region. But far back in the 
world's history, as we know from fossils, tapirs roamed over the warm and temperate regions of 
Europe, and their remains have been found m China and the United States. Thus the interve- 
ning gaps existing to-day have been made by the extinction of these intermediate species. 

By nature the tapir appears to be a harmless and inoffensive animal, flying even before the 
smallest dog. Occasionally, however, it displays great courage and ferocity, and this appears to 
be especially the case with females deprived of their young. At such times they will charge with 
great spirit, and knock down, trample on, and bite their victim after the fashion of wild swine. 

Man alone excepted, the most deadly foe of the American Tapir is the jaguar, as is the tiger of 
the Malay species. The American tapir often gets rid of the jaguar by rushing at full speed into 
the dense jungle, thus sweeping its assailant from its back, the jaguar's claws finding but an 
insecure hold on its victim's thick hide. Tapirs are often found bearing scars all over the backt 
witnessing the terrible nature of the wounds received at such times. 

That the tapir is a comparatively unknown animal is partly accounted for by the fact that it 
is but little sought after by the big-game hunter — who finds more excitement in pursuit of its 
larger relative the rhinoceros — and partly, perhaps, owing to its inhabiting regions comparatively 
little visited by Europeans. Nevertheless, the tapir is an animal of quite peculiar interest, having 
undergone but little change during long ages, whilst its ally the horse has effected in the same 
time a complete transformation, not only in its general shape, but more especially in its teeth and 



ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS i8i 



feet. The gradual steps by which this transformation has been brought about we can trace 
through certain fossil forms, of which we can say little here. 

Amongst these fossils occur remains of an animal bearing a very strong resemblance to the 
living tapir, but which, strangely enough, is not really so closely related thereto as to the horses. 
It does not, however, stand in the direct line of descent of these latter, but must be regarded as 
representing a collateral branch thereof. The occurrence of this distinct tapir-like animal is of 
great scientific interest. 

The short, stout legs and spreading toes of the living tapirs, rhinoceroses, and ancestral 
horse are admirably adapted for plodding deliberately over soft and yielding ground, such as is 
afforded by reed-beds and banks of rivers, or the shady depths of forests. Speed in such 
surroundings is not necessary, food in plenty being always at hand, and escape from enemies 
being sought by concealment in thick herbage rather than flight. With a migration to drier 
and higher plains, the spreading foot has undergone a change. The short legs and numerous 
toes have given place to long ones, and of the several toes growth has taken place in one only — 
the third ; whilst the others have slowly dwindled, till eventually only traces of the second and 
fourth remain, as in the modern horse. Thus has a firmer support over hard, unyielding ground 
been brought about, and great speed gained. The animals with this type of foot (in which the 
third is the largest toe) are known as the Odd-toed Hoofed Animals. The pigs, sheep, deer, and 
oxen have gained an equally 
efficient foot, yet retaining four 
toes. Of these, the third and 
fourth are equal in size, and 
serve ^ a support to the body, 
whilst the second and fifth 
have now become function- 
less, and do not reach the 
ground. This type of foot 
characterises that group of the 
hoofed animals known as the 
Even-toed. 



The Hyrax. 
This is one of the most 
remarkable of living mam- 
mals, and one of the greatest 
puzzles to zoologists, having no 
near living relatives. Though 
bearing some resemblance to 
an earless rabbit, it really 
belongs to the hoofed 
animals, and amongst them 
comes perhaps somewhat 
nearer the rhinoceros than 
to any other animal. It is 
the Coney of the Bible. It 
inhabits the rocky districts of 
Syria and parts of Africa. It 
is a vegetable-feeder, and very 
wary. About a dozen species 
are known. 




Phtf h G, fr. tnifn V C:y Ltd.] 

COMMON AMERICAN TAPIR 

Tbh tafir inkMtt tro^cal America, It is a nocturnal animal^ frequenting the depths ef 
skaiy forests in the naghhourbwd of vtaur^ to wbicA it frequently resorts fir the purpne ^ 
hatlMngy w as a refuge from ^suit 



i82 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




HAIRY-EARED SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS 

This sfeciis itftmnd in Eastern Bengal and in the Malay Peninsula and 
adjacent large islands 



THE RHINOCEROS. 

BY F. C. SELOUS. 

Of the five existing species of Rhino- 
ceros, three are found in Asia, whilst two 
are inhabitants of Africa. 

Of the three Asiatic species, two, the 
Indian and the Javan, are one-horned, and 
have a single pair of broad incisor teeth in 
the upper jaw, and a pair of sharp-edged and 
pointed tusks in the lower, the nasal bones 
being long and narrow, and terminating in 
a point. In both these species the skin is 
hairless (except for tufts or fringes at the 
extremity of the tail and on the edges of 
the ears), and is arranged in shield-like folds 
over the body. The arrangement of these 
folds, however, differs somewhat in the two 
species, and the large round tubercles with 
which the skin of the great Indian rhinoceros 
is profusely studded are wanting in the Javan 
species. 

The Indian Rhinoceros inhabits the 
Terai at the foot of the Himalaya from Bhutan 
to Nepal, and is said to be very abundant in 
Assam and the Bhutan Dooars. It frequents 
swampy ground, and lives amongst jungles and dense growths of reeds and grass, which attain a height 
sometimes of 20 feet, and cover vast areas of ground in the valley of the Brahmaputra and other rivers. 
Owing to the nature of the country in which it lives, the Indian rhinoceros cannot often be 
hunted with much prospect of success, except with the aid of elephants, which sagacious animals 
are not only employed to carry the hunters, but are also used to beat the great grass jungles in 
which the rhinoceroses lie hidden, and drive them towards the guns. 

Despite its great size and strength, the Indian rhinoceros seems to be regarded as, in 
general, a timid and inoffensive animal, and even when wounded it seldom charges home. 
Elephants, however, appear to be as a rule nervous when in the near proximity of rhinoceroses, 
perhaps objecting to the smell of those animals. When the Indian rhinoceros does make good 
its charge against either man or elephant, it cuts and rips its enemy with its teeth, and makes 
little use of its horn as an offensive weapon. 

The Indian rhinoceros is said to live principally, if not entirely, on grass and reeds. As a 
rule it is a solitary animal, but sometimes several are found living in a comparatively small extent 
of grass-covered plain. 

Large males of this species will stand from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet at the shoulder, and they 
are enormously bulky. Both sexes carry well-developed horns, which, however, do not usually 
attain a length of upwards of 12 inches. There is a specimen in the British Museum measuring 
19 inches, and it is believed that in very exceptional instances a length of 2 feet has been attained. 
The Javan Rhinoceros, though it has been called the Lesser Indian Rhinoceros, is said by 
a late authority — Mr. C. E. M. Russell — to stand about the same height at the shoulder as the 
Indian species. It is found in the Sunderbunds of Eastern Bengal, and has been met with in the 
Sikhim Terai and in Assam, ranging eastwards through Burma and the Malay Peninsula to 
Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. 




Phof bj J. IV, M{L*flan\ 



[Higbhurj 



GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS 

The largest land mammal oj^tke East after the elephant 

.83 



184 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



But little appears to be known of the hahks of,this species of rhinoceros. Although it is 
found in the swampy grass-covered plains of the Sunderbunds, its more usual habitat seems to be 
hilly forest-covered country, and both in Burma and Java it ascends to a height of several 
thousand feet above sea-level. It feeds principally upon leaves and the young shoots of trees 
and bushes. In disposition it is timid and inoffensive. Only the male carries a horn, which, 
being very short, is a very poor trophy for a sportsman. 

The third Asiatic species of rhinoceros, known as the Sumatran, is the smallest of all living 
rhinoceroses. This species carries two horns, and its skin, which is very rough, is usually thinly 
covered with hair of a dark brown colour and of considerable length. The folds in the skin of 
the Sumatran rhinoceros are not nearly so well developed as in its single-horned relatives, and 
the one behind the shoulders is alone continued over the back. Although furnished with tusks 
in the lower jaw, the small pair of incisor teeth, which in the other two Asiatic rhinoceroses are 
always present in front of these tusks, are wanting in the Sumatran species. 

The Sumatran rhinoceros is rare in Assam, but is found in Burma and the Malay Peninsula, 
as well as in Siam, Sumatra, and Borneo. The two horns of this species are placed at some 

distance apart. Although they are as 
a rule very short, the front horn oc- 
casionally grows to a considerable 
length, sweeping backwards in a grace- 
ful curve. 

In height adult males of the Su- 
matran species stand on the average 
from 4 feet to 4^ feet at the shoulder, 
and females sometimes not more than 
3 feet 8 inches. 

Like the Javan rhinoceros, the 
Sumatran species is by preference an 
inhabitant ot hilly, forest-covered 
country, and browses on the leaves 
and shoots of trees and bushes. It is 
a timid and inoffensive animal, soon 
becoming tame in captivity. Its flesh 
is said to be much appreciated by the 
Dyaks of Borneo ; and as its horns are 
of value for export to China, where they are used for medicinal purposes, it has of late years 
very much decreased in numbers in the province of Sarawak, but is more plentiful in Central and 
North Borneo. Living as it does in dense jungle, it is an animal which is seldom seen by 
European sportsmen, and its habits in a wild state have never been yet very closely studied. 

Turning to the two species of rhinoceros which inhabit the continent of Africa, both are 
double-horned, and neither furnished with incisor teeth, the nasal bones being thick, rounded, 
and truncated in front. Both, too, are smooth-skinned and entirely hairless, except on the edge 
of the ears and extremity of the tail, which are fringed or tufted. 

Of the two African species, the White or Square-mouthed Rhinoceros is the larger and 
the rarer. Until quite recently the range of this huge ungainly-looking animal, the biggest of 
all terrestrial mammals after the elephant, was supposed to be entirely confined to the southern 
portions of the African Continent ; for although from time to time horns had found their way to 
Zanzibar which seemed referable to the square-mouthed rhinoceros, the fact of the existence of 
the white rhinoceros in any part of Africa north of the Zambesi remained in doubt until a female 
was shot in the year 1900, in the neighbourhood of Lado, on the Upper Nile, by Captain A. St. 
H, Gibbons, who brought its skin, skull, and horns to England. The fact, however, that the 




Phtf bj r»rk V S9n] [Netting Hill 

GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS 

Thh species inhibits the grass jungles of Northeastern India 



ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 185 




Phf ty C, B, Hautimrg^ £<v. 

BLACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROSES 

ji spIenMd snapshot of two black Afritan rhinoctroxex taken on the open nfeldt. They were afterwards shot by the party 

white rhinoceros has never been encountered by any other traveler in Central Africa seems to 
show that the animal is either very rare in those districts, or that it has an exceedingly limited range. 

In the early years of the nineteenth century the square-mouthed or white rhinoceros was 
found m large numbers over the whole of South Africa from the Orange River to the Zambesi, 
except in the waterless portions of the Kalahari Desert, or those parts of the country which are 
covered with rugged stony hills or dense jungle. 

Speaking of his journey in 1837 through the western part of what is now the Transvaal 
Colony, Captain (afterwards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote: " On our way from the waggons to a 
hill not half a mile distant, wc counted no less than twenty-two of the white species of rhinoceros, 
and were compelled in self-defense to slaughter four. On one occasion I was besieged in a bush 
by three at once, and had no little difficulty in beating off the assailants." Even so lately a^ 
tliirty years ago the white rhinoceros was still to be met with in fair numbers in Ovampoland and 
other districts of Western South Africa, whilst 
it was quite plentiful in all the uninhabited 
parts of Eastern South Africa from Zululand 
to the Zambef^i. In 1872 and 1873, whilst 
elephant-hunting in the uninhabited parts of 
Matabililand, I encountered white rhinoceroses 
almost daily, and often saw several in one day. 
At the present time, however, unless it should 
prove to be numerous in some as yet unex- 
plored districts of North Central Africa, this 
strange and interesting animal must be counted 
one of the rarest of existing mammals, and in 
Southern Africa I fear it must soon become 
extinct. A few still exist amongst the wild 
loquat groves of Northern Mashonaland, and '**•'• */ ^- *• ^««'*«»'f» *'#• 

there are also a few surviving in Zululand ; but ONE OF THE SAME RHINOCEROSES DEAD 

I fear that even with the most rigid protection Tki% pkturt gives torn idea of the mu of the commonest snrviving sp$cim 




i86 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Pk»f h J' ^' UtUlUn\ \Uighkmry 

RHINOCEROS BATHING 

jUl tkt Auatic tptcitt ofrhinoctrM art fond of bathing and wallowing in mud 



they arc too few in number to restock 
the country. They have a better 
chance, I think, of increasing in num- 
bers in Zululand than in Mashonaland, 
in which latter country it is at present 
impossible to afford them any protec- 
tion either from natives or Europeans. 
A full-grown bull white rhinoceros 
stands from 6 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 
9 inches at the shoulder, and is very 
massively built, with short, stout legs. 
The head is very much elongated, 
and the mouth square, like that of 
an ox. When white rhinoceroses 
were still plentiful, very considerable 
differences were observable in the 
length and shape of their horns. The 
anterior horns of full-grown bulls 
might measure from i8 inches to 40 inches in length ; those of cows from 24 inches to 60 inches. 
The longest horn known — ^that of a cow — which was brought from South Africa by the well- 
known hunter the late Roualeyn Gordon Gumming, measures 62^ inches over the curve. As 
a rule, the front horn of the white rhinoceros curved slightly backwards, but was often straight 
or bent slightly forwards, and sometimes curved strongly backwards. The posterior horn varied 
from a few inches to 2 feet in length. 

The white rhinoceros lived in families, usually a bull, cow, and calf being found together ; 
but there might be two or even three calves of different ages, and of which the youngest alone 
would be suckling, living with the father and mother. In the early South African spring (Sepn 
tember and October), when the young green herbage was just sprouting after the first rains, two 
or three families of white rhinoceroses might be seen feeding in close proximity, presenting the 
appearance of a herd ; but I fancy the several families of these animals had only been brought 
together for the sake of the young green grass. In Southern Africa the white rhinoceros lived 
entirely on grass, and I have never seen any evidence of their having eaten anything else. 
When either walking, trotting, or galloping, the white rhinoceros always carried its nose close to 
the ground. A calf always preceded its mother, and she appeared to guide it by holding the 
point of her horn on the little creature's rump ; and in all changes of pace, no matter how 
sudden, this position was always maintained. The white rhinoceros was easily killed by a shot 
through the heart or through both lungs, but would travel very long distances, and probably, as 
a rule, ultimately recover from wounds in other parts of the body. They could travel at a great 
rate and for a considerable distance with a broken fore leg or shoulder, but if a hind leg were 
broken they were rendered almost immediately helpless. In disposition they were sluggish and 
inoffensive animals, lying asleep in the shade of trees or bushes during the heat of the day, and 
coming to the water to drink at night or often before sundown in parts of the country where 
they had not been much molested. When disturbed, white rhinoceroses would go off at a swift 
trot, but if chased on horseback would break into a gallop, which they were capable of maintain- 
ing for a considerable distance, and at a wonderful pace for so large and heavy an animal. The 
meat of the white rhinoceros was most excellent, the part in greatest favour amongst hunters 
being the hump on the back of the neck in front of the shoulder, which was cut off whole and 
roasted in the skin in a hole dug in the ground. 

The colour of the so-called white rhinoceros is dark gray. The second species of African rhi- 
noceros, which is also dark gray in colour, is known as the Black or Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceros. 



ELEPHANT, TAPIR. HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 187 



Less than a hundred years ago the range of this fast-disappearing species extended from the 
northwestern districts of the Cape Colony to Abyssinia, and at that time it must have been plentiful 
over almost the whole of the intervening country. It never seems to have penetrated into the equa- 
torial forest regions of West Central Africa, where the climate is probably too damp to suit its require- 
ments ; for both species of African rhinoceros appear to like a dry climate, and not to object to very 
arid surroundings. At the same time they never wander many miles from a river or pool, and drink 
regularly every night, and in hot weather probably very often a second time in the early morning. 

In Southern Africa the black rhinoceros appears to attain to a larger size than in the coun- 
tries farther north. To the south of the Zambesi large bulls of this species will stand S feet 8 
inches at the shoulder ; whilst the height of an adult bull, as taken by Mr. F. Jackson at 
Naivasha. in East Africa, was S feet 5 inches ; and Mr. A. H. Neumann gives the standing height of 
another adult bull shot by himself still farther north, near Lake Rudolph, as only 4 feet 9 inches. 

It is now gener- 
ally recognised that 
there is but one species 
of prehensile-lipped 
rhinoceros in Africa, 
though the horns, and 
especially the hinder 
one, differ in length 
and shape to such an 
extent that it was long 
thought that there 
were at least two 
distinct species, those 
with both horns of 
equal or nearly equal 
length having been 
distinguished from the 
more common form, 
with a comparatively 
short second horn, as 
the Keitloa, this 
being the name in 
the Sechuana dialect 
for a prehensile-lipped 

rhinoceros with horns of equal length. Speaking on this subject, Mr. A. H. Neumann, who has had 
great experience with the black rhinoceros in East Africa, writes : •* Length of horn is a purely 
fortuitous individual trait ; and the extremely long horns (mostly of females) which have occasionally 
been obtained from traders on the east coast, and brought home, are merely exceptionally fine 
specimens, selected from among large numbers brought to the coast (the bulk of which, I am told, 
go to China to be ground up into medicine), and do not belong to any distinct species, nor come 
from any particular region. In proof of this contention I may mention that I have a 40inch horn, 
the owner of which I myself shot at the northern base of the Jambeni Range (near Kenia), in a 
neighbourhood where I hunted a great deal and saw great numbers of rhinos, and shot a good 
many. The vast majority have quite short horns — under a foot — and anything over 18 inches 
is uncommon, while a length of 30 inches or upwards is extremely rare." The black rhinoceros, 
I believe, never eats grass, but browses on the young shoots of trees and bushes, which are often 
quite leafless and seem excessively dry. In this way it chews up and swallows great quantities 
of dry-looking twigs, much of which passes through its stomach undigested. 




Phtf hy Ntrmmn B, Smithy Esg, 

BLACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROS 
Tbii pb9t9grapb^ taktn by a sportsman in Africa^ shows a charging rhinoceros just before it was sbet 



l88 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Pk$u fy r»rk V 5«ii] 



[Netting am 



There has been a good deal of 
controversy as to the character and 
disposition of the black rhinoceros, some 
hunters and travelers regarding it as 
most dangerous and aggressive, whilst 
others are inclined to take an almost 
opposite view. That some black 
rhinoceroses are certainly aggressive and 
therefore dangerous animals, the experi- 
ences of C. J. Anderson and W. Cotton 
Oswell in South Africa many years ago, 
and of many travelers and hunters in 
East Africa during the last few years, 
certainly prove beyond a doubt ; and as 
one never knows that any particular 
rhinoceros, when encountered, may not 
prove to be a vicious brute, a certain 
amount of caution should be employed 
in approaching one of these animals. 
In my own experience I always found 
that black rhinoceroses ran off at once 
on getting the wind of a human being ; 
whilst, on the other hand, if they only 
heard one approaching, they would come 
towards the noise, and I have often 
known them to trot up to within 
twenty yards of where I was standing, 
snorting and puffing loudly ; but as these animals always turned round and went off eventually 
without charging, I came to the conclusion that they were inquisitive and very short-sighted 
rather than vicious. When fired into, a black rhinoceros goes off at a gallpp — ^his usual pace, 
when alarmed, being a very fast trot — puffing and snorting loudly. He can gallop at a very 
gfreat pace, considering his size and weight ; but a South African shooting-pony can easily come 
up with him, or get away from him if pursued. In death a black rhinoceros will often sink down 
on its knees, and remain in that position, looking as if it were simply resting. When dying, it 
often gives vent to a pitiful squeal, the sound seeming very small and thin for so large a beast 
The meat of the black rhinoceros is not ill-flavoured, and, if fat, very palatable ; but as a rule 
these animals are very lean, and their flesh tough and coarse. The tongue, however, if well 
cooked, is always good ; and the liver if first roasted under the ashes, and then, after being beaten 
up in a native wooden mortar, cooked with rice and fat, makes a dish which is good enough for 
a hungry man. 

During the making of the Uganda Railway the engineers came upon something like a pre- 
serve of this species of rhinoceros, especially in the thick and waterless thorn jungle near the 
coast. The rhinoceros was almost the only animal, except the lion, which was able to penetrate 
the bush. As many as five of these animals were seen in one day when the line was being 
made ; they did no injury to the coolies, other than by frightening them, and appeared to be 
Stupid and by no means vigilant animals, perhaps because no other creature attacked them. The 
lion never meddles with a grown-up rhinoceros, though it might and probably does kill a calf 
occasionally, when the latter is no larger than a full-grown pig. The horns of some of these 
East African black rhinoceroses were of unusual length and thinness. 



SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS 

TUt ipeciis of rhinoceros is the smallest of the three Oriental forms. 
t%uo horns 



It has 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE HORSE TRIBE. 



ZEBRAS AND WILD ASSES. 

BY F. C. SELOUS. 



Zebras. 



T 



HE Zebras have many points in common with the asses, from which latter group of 
animals they are principally distinguished by their beautifully striped skins. Both 
asses and zebras carry 



short, erect manes, and in both the 
upper portion of the tail is free from 
long hair. In both groups there are 
naked callosities on the fore legs only, 
whilst the head is larger in propor- 
tion to the size of the animal, and 
the ears longer than in the horse. In 
Burchell's and Grevy's Zebras the 
hoof is intermediate between that of 
the horse and the ass ; for although 
narrower than the hoof of the horse, it 
is broader and more rounded than that 
of the ass. In the True Zebra, how- 
ever, the hoof is thoroughly asinine 
in character, and the ears very long. 
The True or Mountain Zebra 
appears never to have had a very 
extended range. It was once an 
inhabitant of all the mountainous 
regions of the Cape Colony as well 
as of the great Drakensberg Range, 
and fifty years ago was also found 
amongst the rugged hills of Great 
Namaqualand. The mountain-zebra 
is the smallest of the group, standing 
only from 12 to I2J^ hands at the 
shoulder. It is a most beautiful 
animal, the whole of the head, body, 
and limbs, with the exception of the 
under-parts and the insides of the 
thighs, being striped. The ground- 
colour of the body is white, the stripes 




P*»f» by G. W, IVilffi £r C»., Ltd. 

MOUNTAIN-ZEBRA 

Tb* trut or mountain sukra is now becoming scarcer than formerly. At one ttwu H 
zvas to be seen in great numbers on tte mountains of Cafe Colony 
189 



190 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fh$t$ h XT. P, D*ud» 



GREVY'S ZEBRA 



Tbh iftciis of zebra cowu from tbt Galla country^ and bos narrower an J more nuwurous stripes 
tban tbe mountatn-vubra 



being black and the muzzle 
bright brown. Both hind and 
fore legs are banded down to 
the hoofs. The stripes on the 
neck and body are. narrower 
and more numerous than in 
Burchell's zebra, and on the 
hindquarters the median 
stripe, which runs down the 
centre of the back from the 
mane to the tail, is connected 
with the uppermost of the 
oblique longitudinal stripes by 
a series of short horizontal 
bars. The ears in this species 
are much larger than in 
Burchell's zebra. 

The true zebra seems 
never to have been an in- 
habitant of the plains, like 
all its congeners, but to have 
confined its range entirely to mountainous districts. Speaking on this point. Captain (after- 
wards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote upwards of sixty years ago : " This beautiful and wary 
animal never of its own free will descends into the plain, as erroneously asserted by all natural- 
ists, and it therefore never herds with either of its congeners, the quagga and Burchell's zebra, 
whose habitat is equally limited to the open and level lowlands. Seeking the wildest and most 
sequestered spots, the haughty troops are exceedingly difficult of approach, as well on account of 
their watchful habits and extreme agility and fleetness of foot, as from the abrupt and inaccessible 
nature of their highland abode." 

An allied species, of which examples have been obtained by Mr. G. W. Penrice, occurs in 
Benguela, Portuguese West Africa. 

I once saw the carcase of a zebra stallion which had been sent by rail to the Cape Town 
Museum by a farmer living in the neighbourhood of the village of Worcester. This animal had 
come down from the mountains, and joined a troop of donkeys running on the farm. Its intrusion 
was, however, resented by a male donkey, which fought with and overpowered it, and, having 
seized it with its teeth by the back of the neck, held it fast until it was secured by the farmer and 
his men. The captured animal, however, refused food, and soon died, when its carcase was sent 
to the Cape Museum for preservation. 

Grevy's Zebra is the largest and perhaps the handsomest of all the zebras. This fine 
animal is an inhabitant of Eastern Africa, its range extending from the central portion of 
Somaliland southwards to the Tana River. It appears to be plentiful in the country between 
Mount Kenia and Lake Rudolph, but has not, I believe, been met with to the west of that lake. 
Full-grown specimens of Grevy's zebra will stand from 14^ to 15 hands at the shoulder, with a 
girth of body immediately behind the shoulders of nearly 5 feet. The arrangement of the stripes in 
this species differs considerably both from that of the mountain-zebra of the Cape Colony and also 
from Burchell's zebra. The body-stripes are very narrow, numerous, and deep black in colour, 
and are separated by equally narrow white bands. The longitudinal stripes on the haunches 
are also shorter and finer than in any other species of zebra, and on the top of the centre of the 
back from the neck to the tail. The belly and insides of the thighs are white, and the legs banded 
right down to the hoofs as in the mountain-zebra, and the ears are as large as in that species. 




BURCHELL'S ZEBRA AT HOME 

TUt exceiUnt photograph was taken in South Africa^ and thowt thou aniwuUs in thoir natin/e ttate 

191 



192 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Grevy's zebra is» as a rule, an inhabitant of open or thinly wooded country, and it appears to 
avoid anything in the nature of thick cover. In Central Somaliland Major Swayne met with it 
on low plateaux some 2,500 feet above sea-level, the sides of which fell in broken ravines to the 
river-valleys. This country is described as broken and hilly, and here Grevy's zebras were met 
with in small droves of about half a dozen. In the country between Mount Kenia and Lake 
Rudolph, Mr. A. H. Neumann frequently met with herds of Grevy's and Burchell's zebras 
consorting together. The contrast between the two species when thus seen side by side was 
very marked, the former animals looking like horses among a flock of ponies. Mr. Neumann 
never observed stallions of the two species fighting together, but on the other hand he states that 
the stallions of the larger species fight viciously amongst themselves for possession of the mares. 
Grevy's zebras seem never to collect in large herds, more than twenty, or at the outside thirty, 
being very seldom seen together. 

Although this species is an inhabitant of arid plains and bare stony hills where the herbage 

is short, it requires 
to drink daily, and 
is never therefore 
found at any great 
distance from water. 
The cry of Grevy's 
zebra is stated to be 
quite different from 
that of Burchell's. 
Mr. Neumann de- 
scribes it as a very 
hoarse kind of grunt, 
varied by something 
approaching to a 
whistle, the grunts 
being long drawn 
out, and divided by 
the shrill whistling 
sound, as if the latter 
were made by draw- 
ing in the breath 
which had been ex- 
pelled during the 
sustained grunt. 
Like all other species of the genus to which they belong, Grevy's zebras, especially the mares 
when in foal, become very fat at certain seasons of the year, and their flesh is much appreciated 
both by natives and lions, the latter preying on them and their smaller congeners, Burchell's 
zebras, in preference to any other animal, now that the rinderpest has almost exterminated the 
great herds of buffalo which once roamed in countless numbei^s all over East Central Africa. 

Burchell's Zebra once inhabited the whole of Southwestern, Southeastern, Central, and 
Eastern Africa from the Orange River to Lake Rudolph ; and though it has long ceased to exist 
in the more southerly portions of its range, it is still the most numerous and the best known of 
all the species of zebra. 

The typical form of this species was first met with early last century by Dr. Burchell in 
Southern Bechuanaland. In this form the legs are white below the knees and hocks, and the 
body-stripes do not join the median stripe of the belly. In examples met with farther north 
tile legs are striped down to the hoofs and the body-stripes join the belly-stripe. South o£ 







M - 'i 


m^ ■ 


f* . . flH 


r^' 


**^ 






f^' 






/i^M 






^ > '^ 


W^SmlUw ^ ^-^■— „ 


mt^ ..^iiCl 




^mH 


^ 

h 


mf^ 





Ph9f h 7. T. Nnam4tn] [B0rkkmmstid 

THE HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD'S TEAM OF ZEBRAS 

Air, Rothschild wat practically the firxt person to break in suhras to harness^ At one time theu 
animals were thought to he quite untamable 



THE HORSE TRIBE 



193 



the Zambesi all forms of Burchell's zebra seem to have faint markings, known as shadow- 
stripes, on the pale yellow ground colour of the spaces between the broad black stripes. 
North of the Zambesi varieties are met with in which these shadow-stripes are wanting. As, 
however, the differences between all the various sub-species of Burchell's zebra are superficial 
and not structural, and as, moreover, the habits of these animals seem to be the same in every 
part of their widely extended range, I shall henceforth speak of them as one species. 

Burchell's zebra is without the small horizontal bars on the hindquarters, which in the 
mountain-zebra connect the dorsal stripe with the uppermost of the broad longitudinal bands 
running across the flanks. Its ears, too, are smaller than in the latter species, and its mane 
fuller. In size Burchell's zebra is intermediate between the mountain-zebra and Grevy's 
zebra, standing from thirteen to thirteen and a half hands at the shoulder. 




By ftrminitn tf Mr, fVilUam Cr»t$ 

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA, CHAPMAN'S VARIETY 



Where they have not been shot down, Burchell's zebras often live in large herds of from 
fifty to over a hundred together. I have met with them almost at the level of the sea, as in 
the Pungwe district of South-east Africa, arid all over the high plateaux of the interior up to 
a height of 5,000 feet above sea-level. They are partial to sparsely forested country intersected 
by open glades, but also frequent open plains entirely devoid of trees or bush, having been 
once numerous on the open downs of the Western Transvaal and Orange River Colony. They 
never live in dense jungle, but I have met with them frequently amongst broken rugged hills. 
Burchell's zebras are both fleet and enduring, but I have often galloped right amongst a herd 
of them when mounted on a fast horse, and in good ground. In broken, hilly, and stony 
ground, however, no horse can live with a Burchell's zebra. The hoofs of this species seem 
made for running in rocky ground, being deeply hollowed and as hard as iron. 

I have always found the presence of Burchell's zebras a sure indication that water was not 
25 



194 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




MARE AND FOAL OF BURCHELL'S ZEBRA 

TAese ammals brted regularly in captivity 



far distant, and it is my experience 
that these animals require to drink 
daily, and never wander more than 
a few miles away from the pool or 
river they frequent. 

This species of zebra may often 
be seen in Southern Africa in 
company with other animals, such 
as buffaloes, blue wildebeests, elands, 
gemsbucks, roan and sassaby ante- 
lopes, and ostriches, and I have upon 
several occasions seen them come up 
to domestic cattle and horses. They 
are naturally not very wary, and in 
parts of the country where they 
have not been much molested are 
often very inquisitive, and will come 
trotting quite close up to a caravan, 
provided they do not get the scent 
of human beings. Foals of this 

species are easily caught, and become at once very tame and confiding; nor do I believe that 

adult Burchell's zebras are such vicious animals as is generally supposed, since I have seen 

several which were very quiet and well broken, whilst even the half-broken animals, which 

were at one time used on one of the coach-lines in the Transvaal, did not appear very vicious. 
As with Grevy's zebra, the flesh of the species under consideration is much appreciated 

both by natives and lions. I have often seen the fat on the quarters of the mares quite an 

inch thick. It is of a dark yellow colour, and too rich to suit the stomach of a European. 

The meat is rather sweet in taste, but if fried with bacon not at all unpalatable. 
Professor Ewart has lately carried out a very 

interesting series of experiments on the hybrid- 
ising of zebras and horses. The results were very 

satisfactory. The zebra cross proved to be very 

hardy creatures, capable of wintering in the open 

on the hills of Scotland. The scientific data 

obtained were of singular value, as showing the 

effect of crossbreeding on subsequent generations 

of foals of the same mother. It has long been 

believed that the influence of the first sire was seen 

in foals of which other animals were subsequently 

the fathers. Thus, if a white mare threw a foal 

to a black stallion, it was considered that her 

subsequent progeny would occasionally be black, 

and instances were freely quoted to support this 

theory The scientific name of " telegony " was 

given to this supposed influence of previous sires 

on futureoffspring. Professor Ewart's experiments, 

in which pony marcs were first mated with a 

zebra and afterwards with horses, show that this 

theory of telegony is erroneous. The foals sired 

afterwards by ponies and horses showed no trace 

whatever .of zebra stripes, but wefe normal pony 

foals, and not altered either in shape or disposition. 




r/i«f« by S»rman B. Smithy Esq, 

BURCIIELL'S ZEBRA 

Tkit tpecies is occasionally domesticated and drixfen in SomtA 
jffrica^ as it is not injured by the tsetse fy 



THE HORSE TRIBE 



195 



The QUAGGA, which became 
extinct about thirty years ago, 
never had a very extended range, 
but in the early part of the 
last century it existed in great 
numbers on all the upland plains 
of the Cape Colony to the west 
of the Kei River, and in the 
open treeless country lying be- 
tween the Orange and Vaal 
Rivers. North of the Vaal it 
appears to have been unknown. 

The quagga seems to have 
been nearly allied to Burchell's 
zebra — especially to the most 
southerly form of that species — 
but was much darker in general 
colour, being of a dark rufous 
brown on the neck and upper- 
parts of the body, becoming 
lighter on the sides, and fading 
off to white beneath and behind. Instead of being striped, too, over the whole body, it was 
only strongly banded on the head and neck, the dark brown stripes becoming fainter on the 
shoulders and dying away in spots and blotches. On the other hand, in size and build, in 
the appearance of its mane, ears, and tail, and in general habits, it seems to have nearly 
resembled its handsomer relative. The barking neigh ** qua-ha-ha, qua-ha-ha " seems, too, to 
have been the same in both species. The word " quagga " is pronounced in South Africa 
** qua-ha," and is of Hottentot origin, being an imitation of the animal's neighing call. To-day 
Burchell's zebras are invariably called Qua-has by both Boers and British colonists. 




I*tft9 bf Ptrcj Athtndtn 

ZEBRAS ON TABLE MOUNTAIN 

j^nother South African photograph. Notice Cape Town in t^efar diuanct 



Wild Asses 




Ph»f bj r»rt V Stn 



QUAGGA 



This iSf tve be/ieve, the only known photograph from lift of this very rare 
animal. There will prohably never be another^ for the fuagga is generally 
tuppoud to be extinct 



The true asses are without stripes 
on the head, neck, and body, with the 
exception of a dark streak down the 
back from the mane to the tail, which 
is present in all members of the group, 
and in some cases a dark band across 
the shoulders and irregular markings 
on the legs. 

In Africa the wild ass is only 
found in the desert regions of the 
north-eastern portion of that continent, 
being an inhabitant of Abyssinia, 
Somaliland, Gallaland, the Soudan, and 
the arid districts bordering the Red 
Sea. The form of wild ass found in 
Somaliland differs in some respects from 
its near relative of the Nubian Desert, 
in that it is of a paler colour, has the 
dorsal stripe but faintly marked, and is 
without a cross stripe over the shoulders, 



196 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



whilst on the other hand it has numerous markings both on the front and hind legs. Naturalists 
are, however, agreed that, although there may be certain small differences in the colour and 
markings of the wild asses found in different localities of Northern Africa, such variations are 
of no specific value, and only one species is recognised. 

The African Wild Ass is a fine animal, standing between 13 and 14 hands at the shoulder. 
It lives in small herds or families of four or five individuals, and is not found in mountainous 
districts, but frequents low stony hills and arid desert-wastes. It is as a general rule an 
alert animal and difficult to approach, and so fleet and enduring that, excepting in the case 
of foals and mares heavy in young, it cannot be overtaken even by a well-mounted horseman. 
Notwithstanding the scanty nature of the herbage in the districts they frequent, these desert- 
bred asses are always in good condition. They travel long distances to water at night, but 
appear to require to drink regularly. Their flesh is eaten by the natives of the Soudan. The 
bray of the African wild ass is said to be indistinguishable from that of the domesticated 
animal, which latter is undoubtedly descended from the wild African breed. 

In Asia three varieties of the wild ass are found, which were formerly believed to 
i)epresent three distinct species; but since the points of difference between these varying forms 
00 not appear to be of specific value, all the local races of the Asiatic wild ass are now 
considered to belong to one species. 

These wild asses have a wide range, and are met with in the deserts of Asia from 
Syria to Persia and Western India, and northwards throughout the more arid portions of 
Central Asia. 

In Tibet and Mongolia the wild ass inhabits the high mountain-plateaux, and lives at 
elevations of 14,000 feet and upwards above the sea. This local race, know as the KlANG, 
approaches in size to the African wild ass, standing 13 hands at the shoulder. It is dark 
reddish brown in colour, with a very narrow dorsal stripe. The Onager of Western India 
and Baluchistan is a smaller and lighter-coloured animal, with a broader stripe down the 
back. In parts of its range it is found at sea-level. In Persia and Syria a third local race 
of wild ass is found, which, however, differs from the two forms already enumerated in no 
essential particular. 

Like their African congeners, the wild asses of Asia are inhabitants of the waste places 
of the earth, frequenting desert plains and wind-swept steppes. They are said to be so fleet 
and enduring that, except in the case of a mare, heavy with foal, they cannot be overtaken 

by a single horseman. 

The wild asses of the 
desert plains of India and 
Persia are said to be very wary 
and difficult to approach, but 
the kiang of Tibet is always 
spoken of as a much more 
confiding animial, its curiosity 
being so great that it will 
frequently approach to within 
a short distance of any un- 
familiar object, such as a 
sportsman engaged in stalking 
other game. 

Asiatic wild asses usually 
live in small families of four 
or five, but sometimes congre- 
gate in herds. Their food 
consists of various grasses in 
the low-lying portions of their 




rh^to hj 7. ff^, MtUlUn 



BALUCHI WILD ASS 



This is otu o/tAe three leading varieties of the Asiatic tviid ass. It is found in Western India 

and Baluchistan 



THE HORSE TRIBE 



197 




MALE KIANG 
TAt kiang comes from the Tibttan highlands. It is the largest and most horse^likt of the wild assts of Aua 

range, but of woody plants on the high mountain-plateaux, where little else is to be obtained. 
Of wild asses in general the late Sir Samuel Baker once said: "Those who have seen donkeys 
only in their civilised state can have no conception of the wild or original animal; it is the 
perfection of activity and courage." 

DOMESTICATED HORSE, ASSES, AND MULES 

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S. 



The Domesticated Horse 

Like the wild camels, genuine wild horses are very generally believed to be extinct. The 
vast herds which occur to-day in a wild state in Europe, America, and Australia are to be 
regarded, say those who believe in the extinction theory, as descended from domesticated 
animals which have run wild. So far as the American and Australian horses are concerned, 
this is no doubt true; but of the European stocks it is by no means so certain. For 
Dr. Nehring — and he speaks with authority — assures us that the wild horses known as 
Tarpans, which occur on the steppes north of the Sea of Azoflf, between the river Dnieper and 
the Caspian, are veritable wild horses, the last remaining members of enormous herds which 
occurred in Europe before the dawn of civilisation. These horses formed no small part of the 
food of the savage races of men then inhabiting this continent. This we know because of the 
quantities of their remains found in the caves of the south of France, for instance, associated 
with the remains of the men who hunted them. Further evidence of this we have in the 
shape of crude engravings on pieces of bone and deer horns, carved by the more artistic 
spirits amongst these early hunters. From these drawings we gather that the horse they 
hunted was small in size and heavy in build, with a large head an^ rough, shaggy mane and 



198 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



tail — a horse, in fact, almost identical with the above-mentioned tarpan. But long before 
historic records begin these horses must have been domesticated ; man discovered that they 
could be even more useful alive than dead, and from that time forth the horse became his 
inseparable companion. ** Caesar found the Ancient Britons and Germans using war-chariots 
drawn by horses." 

But the stock of domestic horses drawn from this tarpan breed appears to have died 
out almost entirely, the majority of horses now existing being probably descendants of the 
native wild horses of Asia, the product of a still earlier domestication. In Egypt the horse, 
as a domestic animal, seems to have been preceded by the ass; but about 1900 B.C. it 
begins to appear in the r6le of a war-horse, to draw chariots. Its use, indeed, until the 
Middle Ages was almost universally as a war-horse. 

From the time of its domestication till to-day the history of the horse has been one 
of progress. The care and forethought of the breeder have produced many varieties, resulting 
in such extremes as the London Dray-horse, the Racer, and the Shetland Pony. 

The coloration of our various breeds of horses is generally without any definite marking, 
piebald and dappled being the nearest approach to a pattern. Occasionally, however, horses are 

found with a dark 



M^' 



^' 'T'k K^, 



stripe along the back, 
and sometimes with 
dark stripes on the 
shoulders and legs. 
Darwin, discovering 
a number of horses so 
marked belonging to 
different breeds, came 
to the conclusion that 
probably all existing 
races of horses were 
descended from a 
"single dun-coloured, 
more or less striped 
primitive stock, to 
which [stock] our 
horses occasionally 
revert." 

'* If we were not 
so habituated to the sight of the horse," says the late Sir William Flower, " as hardly ever 
to consider its structure, we should greatly marvel at being told of a mammal so strangely 
constructed that it had but a single toe on each extremity, on the end of the nail of 
which it walked or galloped. Such a conformation is without parallel in the vertebrate series." 
By the aid of fossils we can trace out all the stages through which this wonderful foot has 
passed in arriving at its present state of perfection : we can see how it has become more 
and more beautifully adapted to fulfil the requirement demanded — a firm support to enable 
its owner to cover hard [jround at great speed. The study of the structure of this foot, and a 
comparison with the intermediate forms, make it clear that this toe corresponds to the third 
finger or toe of the human hand or foot — according as we compare the fore or hind limbs — 
and that its development was at the expense of the remaining toes, which gradually dwindled 
and disappeared, leaving in the living one-toed horse only traces of the second and fourth toes 
in the shape of a pair of splint-bones, one on either side of the excessively developed third toe. 
The horses, it must be remnrkcd, may be distinguished from the asses by the fact that the 
tail in the former is clothed with long hair throughout; in the latter long hair springs only 
from the sides and end. forming a tuft. Furthermore, the horses have a remarkable horny 



Ph9t9 hf r. Vaa 

YEARLING ARAB COLTS 

Note thi colts examining the photographer* s bag. They are very inquisitive creatures, but easily frightened 




Pkff fy r. FaO 



ARAB MARE 



NoiUng xoimld induce tUt koru io stand stiff in order to he photographed ; so as a last resource the rider put on her Arab cosiusm. This acttd 

like magic f for under its spell the animal at once became quiet 

199 



200 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 







M 



ARAB MARES AND FOALS 



excrescence, resembling a huge black and flattened wart, on each hind leg just below the 
" hock," or heel-joint. This excrescence is commonly known as the " chestnut." Its function 
is unknown. A similar pair of " chestnuts " occurs on the inner side of the fore limb just 
above the wrist, or " knee," as it is generally called. The " chestnuts " of the fore limb occur 
also in the asses, but not those of the hind limb. 

The Arab Horse 

This magnificent and justly celebrated animal is chosen first for consideration because 
it is probably a direct descendant of an original wild breed — the Asiatic wild horse. How 
far back the domestication of this breed began will probably never be exactly known. Till 
the third century after Christ the Arabs were almost certainly camel-riders; but by the 
sixth century of our era we find them in possession of a breed of horses which they fegarded 
with great reverence, and spoke of as an heritage from their forefathers. They were probably 
introduced from the Caucasus or Asia Minor. The Arab horse found its way into Europe, perhaps 
accompanied by an allied breed — the Barb — with the Arab invasion of Spain in the eighth and 
ninth centuries, leaving traces of its sojourn in the Andalusian and the French Limousin. But 
the great value of Arab blood was not appreciated till armour ceased to be used, the excessive 
weight of this demanding a horse of heavy build. 

The Arab does not appear to have been introduced into England till the seventeenth 
century ; but the result of that introduction, as we shall see presently, has been fraught with 
tremendous consequences. In its native land it appears to have been bred chiefly for the 
purposes of warfare. The success with which the breeders' judicious selection has been 
rewarded is plainly seen in the wonderful powers of endurance on long marches; so that, at 
the end of a raid, the animal is still fresh enough either for flight, if necessary, or for a final 
rush on a retreating enemy. Besides, Arabs possess great courage, and are frugal both in the 
matter of food and drink. 



THE HORSE TRIBE 



20I 



As a race-horse, one enthusiast 
assures us, the Arab is superior to 
every other natural breed; he is 
beaten only by his own half-breed 
offspring — the English Race-horse. 
But this seems to be rather an over- 
estimate. 

The colour of the Arab varies ; 
white is the most highly esteemed, 
but bay and chestnut are common, 
black being rare. Strange as it may 
seem, the white breed is never born 
white. 

The great affection of the Arab 
for his horse is proverbial. The 
following story is certainly worth 
repeating : " The whole stock of an 
Arab of the desert consisted of a 
mare. The French Consul offered to 
purchase her, in order to send her 
to his sovereign, Louis XIV. The 
Arab would have rejected the pro- 
posal ; but being miserably poor, with 
scarcely a rag to cover him, his wife 
and children starving, he was tempted 
greatly. At length he yielded. He 
brought the mare to the consul's 
house, and stood leaning on her neck, 





!»*•»• bj r. Fall 



HACKNEY AND FOAL 

A specimen of the Engliih carriage-Jkortt 



PERCHERON HORSE 



and looking, now at the gold, and now 
at the horse. The gold was good to 
look upon; it would make him rich 
for life. Turning at last to his 
favourite, he said: 'To whom is it 
I am going to yield thee up? To 
Europeans, who will tie thee close, 
who will beat thee, who will make 
thee miserable. Return with me, my 
beauty, my jewel, and rejoice the 
hearts of my children.' At the last 
of these words he sprang upon her 
back, and was in a few moments out 
of sight." 

The Barb 

This is an African breed, which, 
like the generality of African horses, 
is distinguished from those of Asia 
by its long limbs and small girth 
at the loins, thus resembling the 
foals of other breeds. It displays 
great powers of enduring hunger and 



202 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Phtto by C, ktid 



A ftrftct English thoroughbred. 



LADAS 

fFith this racer Lord Rosebery won the Derby 
in i8g4 



thirst; and is fleet, with a high 
and graceful action. The barb takes 
its name from its native land — 
Barbary. It is a larger breed than 
the Arab. 

Levant AND Persian Horses 

These are very closely allied to 
the Arab, but generally of larger 
size; and in Southern Persia, at least, 
less delicately framed. The Turko- 
man horses are related to those of 
Northern Persia. 

The English Race-horse 

This . animal is the product of 
very careful selection and gradual 
improvement of an original native 
breed, extending, over several cen- 
turies. Long since, so long ago as 
the reign of James L, it had reached 
a high degree of excellence. 

Upon this native stock there has 

been built up, by the infusion of Arab blood, the swiftest horse which the world has ever 

known — the British Thoroughbred. " Of this breed, it may be stated," says Mr. Allison, 

" that every such animal in the stud-book of the present day, in this country or any other, 

descends . . . from one of three original Eastern sires — the Darley Arabian, the Byerley 

Turk, or the Godolphin Arabian." This is an extremely interesting fact, and constitutes 

a lasting monument to the enterprise and acumen of the British horse-breeder. 
The Byerley Turk hailed from 

the Levant, and was introduced by 

Captain Byerley about 1689. From 

the Byerley Turk came Herod, the 

most celebrated of his descendants, 

who has given rise to the Herod line, 

which to-day is but feebly represented. 
The Godolphin Arabian, or the 

Godolphin Barb, was born about 1724. 

From his grandson Matchem is 

derived the Matchem line, which is 

also to-day bordering on extinction. 
The Darley Arabian carries us 

back to the reign of Queen Anne. 

Flying Childers and Bartlett*s Childers 

are directly descended from him ; and 

from the latter is descended Eclipse, 

the fastest horse which the turf has 

ever known. It is interesting to note 

that the descendants in the Eclipse 

line enormously outnumber those of 

the other two lines which we have con- 
sidered. Of his descendants, one of the 




Phtf fy C. Rtld 



FLORIZEL II 
One of King BdwarJTt radttg-ttud 



THE HORSE TRIBE 



203 




SHETLAND PONY AND FOAL 



most illustrious is Stockwell, 
who has been described as 
the most extraordinary sire 
of all time, whose blood is 
coming more than ever to 
the front. 

The Trotting-horse 

This is an American 
breed. The trotting-horse is 
a combination of barb and 
Arab on an English stock. 
Most of the trotting- and pac- 
ing-horses of America may be 
traced to an English thorough- 
bred — Messenger — who was 
imported into America in 
1 780. This horse became the 
founder of the greatest trot- 
ting family in the world. The 
speed attained by some of the 
fastest trotters is wonderful, 
a mile being covered in some 
three or four seconds over 
two minutes. 

Russia is the only European country with a distinct breed of trotter — the Orloff. 
This breed was made by crossing Arab and English horses with the native races. The Orloff 

has not the speed of the 
American horse, but has 
greater powers of endurance. 
The trotting-season in Russia 
is winter, the races taking 
place on the ice. 

The Pacer is not a 
distinct breed, but so called 
on account of its curious 
method of trotting. In 
trotting the left fore and 
right hind leg strike the 
ground at the same moment; 
in pacing the fore and hind 
leg of the same side move in 
unison. Some wild animals 
— as the giraffe — are pacers. 
" Many American horses," 
says Mr. Winans, " are able to 
move with either action, a 
set of lighter shoes often 
sufficing to convert a trotter 
into a pacer.** Pacing is 
a swifter mode of motion 
than trotting. 




th»i» ty i . tmiL 



CHAMPION SHIRE STALLION 
A celebrated cart kont 




SHIRE MARE AND FOAL 




Fh»u by 7. Fail 



WELSH PONY 

TAis photograph shoivi the Duchess of Neivcastle 'with one of her ivhite fVelsh ponies 

204 



THE HORSE TRIBE 



205 




Fk,H ^ C. R*id 



POLO-PONY 



f^arious breeds of ponies are used in this game, hut the mitt ettumed at tit 
present day art the English'-hred New Forest, Dartmoor, or Exmoor, of 
JVelsh ponies. 



The pacing record time stands 
at one mile in i minute 59^^ seconds, as 
against the trotting record of one mile 
in 2 minutes 3| seconds. 

The Hunter 

This also is not a distinct breed, as 
some suppose. Any good riding-horse 
may be used as a hunter. ** Hunters " 
have been made by infusing the blood 
of the race-horse with native breeds. 
The chief requirements are a muscular 
neck and chest, with a rather short 
body, and shorter and stouter legs than 
the race-horse. 

From the half-bred hunter we pass 
by insensible gradation to the ordinary 
saddle- and carriage-horses. The ideal 
carriage-horse, however, is more of a 
distinct breed than the hunter, and 
known as the Cleveland Bay. It has 
beep produced by mingling the blood 
of the thoroughbred with that of a 
horse of stouter make than that of the 
hunter type. 

The record broad jump for the hunter, we might mention in passing, is variously stated 
to be from 33 to 37 feet ! 

The Shetland Pony 

This is a native of the Shetland 
Islands, and remarkable for its small 
size, docility, and hardihood. It is 
allowed to run nearly wild, and made to 
forage almost entirely for itself. In the 
winter it grows a coat of great length, 
which, soon becoming matted, forms a 
most effective protection against cold and 
wet. TheDARTMOOR, ExMOOR.andNEW 
Forest are likewise small breeds, but 
lack the symmetry and beauty of the 
Shetland. 

Cart-horses 

Under this head are included all 
the large, heaviiy built draught-horses. 
These are of European origin, and 
without intermixture of foreign — Asiatic 
or African — blood. In England the most 
important breeds are the BLACK or Shire 
Horse, the Clydesdale, and the Suf- 
folk Punch. These are wonderful in- 
stances of the results of selective breeding 




rh»u if r. Fait 



DONKEY 

ji Typical Coster's Donkty 



2o6 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



towards a definite end — large size, accom- 
panied by great physical strength and powers 
of endurance. To accomplish this, speed has 
had to be sacrificed. 

asses and mules 
Asses 

The Domestic Ass, so common to-day 
in these islands, is of African origin, and 
has, moreover, departed but little in either 
form or colour from the wild race. This is 
probably due to the fact that the ass has 
not been subjected in this country to that 
process of rigorous and careful selection that 
the horse has undergone. 

We Have no record of its first intro- 
duction to England, but it was certainly 
known in the reign of Ethelred, though it 
was a rare animal. Later it appears to 
have died out, and to have been reintroduced 
in the reign of Elizabeth; but it has never 
become popular. This is unfortunate; its 
sterling qualities have never been really 
appreciated there. Spain, Italy, and Malta 
have all succeeded in raising some fine breeds. 
The United States has, however, produced 
r)M.kftf^ Riid ^^^ finest of all in animals standing some 

EGYPTIAN DONKEYS 15 or i6 hands (s feet or 5 feet 4 inches) 

TMe au kai long hten known to the Egyptians, having hten in use by high* 
them before the introJuciion of the horse 

Mules 

The term MuLE, strictly speaking, should be reserved for the offspring of the male ass and 
the mare : the offspring of the opposite cross is called the HiNNY. Mules are valued on account 
of their great powers of endurance and their sure-footedness. The finest and handsomest are 
bred in Spain, the United 
States, and North-west India. 

It is interesting to note 
that mules exhibit a strong 
tendency to revert to the 
dun-coloured and striped col- 
oration believed to belong to 
the primitive horses. The spi- 
nal and shoulder stripes which 
sometimes appear in horses, 
and more frequently in asses, 
occur yet more frequently in 
mules. The legs of the mules 
appear particularly liable to 
revert to this striped colora- 
tion in the United States, it 
is said nine out of ten being 
so marked. 





/Am* bf C Rtid] 



[ffhhmo^KM. 



MULES 



CHAPTER XIII 



THE HOLLOW HORNED RUMINANTS: OXEN, BISON 
BUFFALOES, AND MUSK-OX 

C'^l ATTLE, Deer, Camels, Pigs, Horses, Tapirs, Rhinoceroses, and Elephants differ greatly in 
structure from the orders already described. They are classed as the Ungulates, or 
^ Hoofed Mammals. In most of these, such as the Horse, Deer, and Oxen, the toes are 
contained within a solid hoof; in others, such as the Rhinoceros, they are protected by broad 
nails. Great differences exist in the feet of the various groups of Ungulates, caused by the 
degree in which the digits, or " toes," remain in use or not. Except in the Elephant, where 
there are five, the greatest number of " working " digits found in existing forms is four. In 
the Horse and its surviving allies the digits are reduced to one ; in the Giraffes, to two. 

The general process, as it can be learnt from the remains of the horse-like animals of the 
past, seems to have been as follows. One or more of the toes were developed in length and 
strength at the expense of the others, until, in the case of the Horse, only one toe remained, 
which was enclosed in a large and solid hoof, little splints on either side of the cannon-booe 
being left to hint where the second and fourth toes had once been. In the Oxen and Deer the 
third and fourth toes developed equally, at the expense of the others, and each gained a case 
or covering, which makes the two parts of the " cloven hoof" of these groups. 

The first group of the order of Ungulates is represented by the Hollow-horned Ruminants. 
These have horns set on a core of bone, the horns themselves being hollow throughout. They 
* chew the cud," after receiving the food eaten into the first of four divisions in the stomach, 
whence it is brought up into the mouth, and then swallowed again for digestion. The Oxen, 
Sheep, and Goats have no popular name by which they are collectively distinguished, but their 
characteristics are sufficiently 
well known. The horns are 
never shed annually, as is the 
case with the Deer; and the 
hoofs are cloven. They have 
no incisor teeth in the upper 
jaw, acharacteristicalso shared 
by the Giraffes, the Prongbuck 
(or American antelope), andthe 
Deer. The lower jaw has its full 
complement of incisor teeth. 

The Oxen and the allied 
Bison, Yak, and Buffaloes are 
the bulkiest and most impor- 
tant to man of all ruminants. 
Some are found in nearly all 
inhabited parts of the Old 
World, and there is one North 
American species, now practi- 
cally exterminated as a v/ild 
animal. 




th»f bf E. Landtr 

ENGLISH PARK-CATTLE 
TJtit pkotograph reprt*snti noo amiwutU of Afferent typeu Tlu hull it pure-brtd i (At t 



Is of Sff event typeu 
crourbred 



9nf 



2o8 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




ENGLISH PARK BULL 

rA« similarity in thapc to the best'hred modern thortkorns is odious 



BRITISH PARK-CATTLE, AND 
THE AUROCHS 

The so-called " Wild Cattle " found in 
the parks of Chillingham and Chartley, as 
well as in Lord Leigh's park at Lyme, and 
in that of the Duke of Hamilton at Cadzow 
Castle, Scotland, are probably not the 
descendants of an indigenous wild race. It 
is not without reluctance that the belief in 
their wild descent has been abandoned. But 
the evidence seems fairly conclusive as to 
the antiquity of these white cattle, regarded 
as a primitive breed, and of the unlikelihood 
of their being survivors of a truly wild stock. 
They arc almost identical in many points 
with the best breeds of modern cattle, and 
probably represent the finest type possessed 
by the ancient inhabitants of these islands. 
But they are far smaller than the original 
Wild Ox, or Aurochs, the ancestor of our 
domestic breeds. The skulls of these large 
wild oxen, which still survived in the Black Forest in Caesar's time, have been dug up in 
many parts of England, especially in the Thames Valley, and may be seen at the Natural 
History Museum. The remains of the extinct wild ox, the Bos urns of the Romans, show 
that, if not so large as an elephant, as Caesar heard, its size was gigantic, reckoned by any 
tnodern cattle standard whatever. It probably stood 6 feet high at the shoulder, and there 
is every reason to believe that it was the progenitor of the modern race of domestic cattle 
in Europe. It seems certain that the Chartley Park herd did once run wild in Needwood 
Forest; but so do the Italian buffaloes in the Maremma, and the Spanish bulls on the plains 
of Andalusia. Those at Chartley have been kept in the park, which is very wild and remote, so 
long that they have gradually lost 
many of the attributes of domestica- 
tion. This is even more marked in 
the case of Lord Tankervill's white 
cattle at Chillingham. An observant 
visitor to Chillingham lately noted 
that the bulls fight for the possession 
of the cows, and that one is occasion- 
ally killed in these combats. The 
cows still " stampede " with their 
calves when alarmed, and hide them 
for a week or ten days after they are 
born. The horns of the Chillingham 
cattle turn up ; those of the bulls of 
the Chartley herd are straight or 
slightly inclined downwards. Cross- 
breds between the Chartley cattle and 
some other herds of reputed ancient 
descent may generally be seen at the '''»•'• ^^ '*'• ^- ^*»'»* 

London Zoological Gardens. They CALF OF ENGLISH PARK-CATTLE 

remain remarkably true to type. Tkougk tJU stock is very oU and inured, the wAite park-catt/e are stiii fuir/y prolijk 




THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 



209 




Fhot$ hj J, T. Nttoman 

JERSEY COW 

Though small in sian, the yersey co%Oi produce more butter than any English breed 



Formerly there were 
several other herds of ancient 
white cattle. One was at 
Gisburne, in Yorkshire; 
another at Chatelherault Park, 
in Lanarkshire; and records 
of herds at Bishop Auckland 
in Durham, Barnard Castle, 
Blair Athol, Burton Constable, 
Naworth Castle, and other 
ancient peaks are preserved. 
Probably all were of a breed 
highly prized in ancient days, 
which was allowed the run of 
the forests adjacent to the 
homes of their owners ; then, 
*as the forests were cleared, 
they were gradually taken up 
and enclosed in parks. Another 
theory is, that they were the 
white cattle of North-western 

Italy, imported by the first settlements of Italian monks after the conversion of the Saxons. 

■ "J ^, 

SOME DOMESTICATED CATTLE 

The various species of European domestic cattle have in most cases been brought to a 
degree of excellence even higher than that which might be expected from the long period of 
time in which their improvement has been an object of solicitude to nian. Of the foreign 
races, the dark red cattle of the Spanish Peninsula — animals which have been exported to the 
Canary Islands and Madeira with great success — are justly famous. The white oxen of North- 
east Italy have been famous since the days of the Romans. The tall long-horned cattle of 
Hungary are excellent alike as beasts of draught and for beef. The black-and-white Dutch cows 
are, and have been, the mainstay of the dairy industry of Holland, and later of Denmark; 
while the small Brittany cows are perhaps the best butter-producers on the continent of 
Europe. But England and the Channel Islands may justly claim to rear the finest cattle of the 

temperate parts of the world. The diminutive 
Jersey cows, now reared in all parts of the 
kingdom, surpass all the animals of Europe 
or America in the richness of their milk, 
while stock from the pedigree herds of 
various English breeds is eagerly sought by 
foreign and continental buyers on both sides 
of the Atlantic, and in New Zealand and 
Australia. These foreign strains need constant 
replenishing from the English herds, and the 
result is a golden harvest to the breeders in 
these islands. 

The Shorthorn was the first breed to be 
brought to perfection. Two main stocks — 
one for producing beef, the other for the 
dairy — are recognised; they are the "all- 
round breed " most in favour, and it is said 
that the improvement in this race alone has 




Fh9t9 hj iV, P, Dandt 

SPANISH CATTLE 

These belong to the long-horned race of Southern and Eastern Europe, 
the bulls the horns are shorter, and often turn downwards 



In 



27 



2IO 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



raised the value of average Irish store cattle $io per head during the last twenty years. The 
shorthorns are level-backed, large animals, maturing very quickly. The commonest colours are 
roan, white, red, and red-and-white. HEREFORD CATTLE are red, with white faces and long, 
upturned horns; they fatten quickly on good grass, and are in most demand for summer 
beef. Highland Cattle have long horns, rough, shaggy coats, and bodies of moderate size 
and great symmetry; they are grazed on the mountains of the West Highlands mainly, and 
fattened in the south. The beef is of the finest quality. Sussex Cattle are an ** all red " 
variety, large, and formerly much used for drauglit and farm work. The DEVON'S are another 
red variety, very like the Sussex, yielding excellent and rich milk, and, when fattened, being 
little inferior to any breed as beef. The long-horned black Welsh Cattle grow to a great 
size, as do the polled ANGUS breed of Scotland. The polled or hornless cattle include the 
red SUFFOLKS, a most valuable breed, hardy, and wonderful producers of milk. The cows 
often give milk every day of the year. The LONGHORN breed is almost disappearing, as the 

horns are a disadvan- 
tage both in the fields 
and when the animals 
are carried on board 
ship or in the train. 
The Humped Cattle 
of India and East Africa 
belong to a race dif- 
ferent from European 
cattle, of which the 
parent stock is not 
known. They have a 
hump upon the withers, 
drooping ears (a sign 
of ancient domestica- 
tion), and a very large 
dewlap. The coat is 
always exquisitely fine. 
They are of all sizes, 
fromthe tall Brahminee 
bull to dwarf breeds 
not larger than a New- 
foundland dog. The 
They do not low, but grunt. 




Ph»t* fy G, ff^. If^Ufn V Ct., Ltd, 



YOUNG GAUR 

The largest and handsomest of the wild oxen 



commonest colours are cream, grey, mouse-colour, and white 

and arc by no means so fond of shade and water as European cattle. 

WILD OXEN 

This group consists of the Gaur of India ; the Gayal of Assam, which is possibly a 

domesticated form of the gaur, but rather smaller in size, with skull and horns different in 

character ; and the Banting, a lighter and more slender wild ox, of which different varieties 

are found in Burma, in Java (where it is kept in a half-domesticated condition), and in 

Manipur. 

The Gaur 

The Gaur, the so-called Indian Bison, is probably the largest of all the wild bovine 
animals. It is found at the foot of the North-eastern Himalaya, in the Central Provinces 
of India, the forests of Madras and Mysore, and in parts of Burma and the Malay Peninsula, 
but not in Ceylon. Its range eastward is not accurately known. In habits the gaur is 
mainly a forest animal, retiring always at daybreak into the depths of the jungle. It 
sometimes attains a height of over 6 feet at the shoulder, and a length of 9 feet 6 inches 



THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 



211 




COW GAYAL 

This animal is not at all distimilar to the gaur. Its c kief points of differ^ 
ence are in the h^rns and in the colour of its shin 



from the nose to the tail. The colour of 
the full-grown gaur is dark brown, turning 
to black; the legs from above the knees 
and hocks to the hoofs are white, the 
hair being short and fine. Its horns are 
upturned, and tipped with black, with white 
hair covering the junction on the top of 
the skull. The cows are much smaller than 
the bulls, standing about 5 feet high at the 
shoulder. This species feeds both on grass 
and on the young shoots of trees and of 
bamboos. The calves are dropped in August 
and September. The pure-bred animal does 
not appear capable of domestication. 

Hunting gaur by tracking in the jungle 
has long been a favourite sport of Anglo- 
Indians. General Douglas Hamilton says: 
" I have killed bulls measuring 6 feet at 
the shoulder, and the average height of the 
male is from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 
inches. An old bull gaur is a magnificent 
animal. The normal colour is a brownish black, sometimes in very old specimens almost 
quite black. The white stockings reach from the hoof to above the knee, and are very 
conspicuous. When on the Anamalics, I had a grand fight with a big bull. I was out early, 
and came on the spoor of bison, and soon saw two, one a very large bull. To my disgust he 
lay down, and was completely covered by creepers and bushes. After a bit I attempted to 
move to get a better view ; but there to my left was a cow bison staring at me. She at once 
gave the alarm, and I waited for the large bull to rise. This he did so quickly, and disappeared 
so suddenly, that I only got a snapshot. As I stopped to load, I saw a young calf squatting 
at the foot of a tree like a hare, intently watching me. I put the rifle down, crept up 
behind the tree, and suddenly threw myself on the little calf, and managed to get hold of its 
hind legs, but it got from under me. I managed, however, to tie its fore legs securely by 
means of some slender stems from the creepers. All this time it continued to bellow and to 
make a great row, and I fully expected to see the mother come charging down. I went back 
to the bungalow, and got some men to bring my little captive home. After breakfast I started 
again, and got on the track of the bison. ... I saw some branches move, and on looking 
carefully perceived a large bull bison ; but he was among the thick bushes, and I could not 
see his outline. I guessed as nearly as possible the position of the shoulder, and fired the 
big rifle at him. He gave a bound forward, and then stopped long enough for me to give him 
a shot with the other barrel. . . . The next moment I saw the bull standing on the high 
ground above us. I fired again, and hit him well behind the shoulder. He dashed off, but 
only went fifty yards, and then stopped. I walked up, thinking to finish him, when he made 
a fearful rush at me. My man put the double rifle into my hands and then bolted, and I 
thought it prudent to retire and await my opportunity. But he only moved a few paces 
forward, and then stopped. Then began a regular siege of his position." The result of the 
siege was that the bison received four more bullets, charged and routed the hunter twice, 
and then walked off. It was shot twice more, charged again, and was finally killed by 
General Hamilton with his hunting-knife tied to a bamboo spear-pole. 

Considering the size and tenacity of life of the gaur, it is rather wonderful that more 
accidents do not occur in the pursuit of this animal ; but as it lives mainly in thick jungle, 
where large trees grow, the sportsman has more chance of getting out of sight of a wounded 
animal than when attacked by the Indian buffalo, which generally haunts jungles of high grass. 



212 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The Gayal 

The doubt whether this animal 
is found in a wild state has recently 
been considerably increased. It is 
well known in a semi-domesticated 
condition, in which it is kept by 
the tribes in and around the Assam 
Valley, where the wild gaur is also 
found. These herds roam during the 
day freely in the jungle, and return 
to be fed at the villages. It has 
been stated that wild gayal are 
enticed -to join the tame herds by 
feeding them with balls of meal 
and salt; but these "wild" speci- 
mens may be only those which have 
belonged to or have descended from 
the domesticated herd. Gayal have 
been kept in England not only in 
the Zoological Gardens but in some 
parks, and crossed with English cattle. 
The offspring furnished excellent beef, but were rather wild and intractable. The horns of the 
gayal are thicker and flatter than those of the gaur, and placed lower on the skull and farther 
apart. The domesticated gayal stands lower than the gaur, but is a very massive animal. 




INDIAN HUMPED BULL 

TAt hump and dewlap mark the Oriental cattle. The ears are often more drooping 
than in this specimen 



The Banting 

The common wild ox of the Malay countries of Borneo, Java, Eastern Burma, and 
northwards, in Manipur resembles the European oxen rather more than does the gaur. In 
size the bulls sometimes reach 5 feet 9^ inches. The old bulls are black, the younger bulls 
chocolate red, and the cows a bright reddish brown. The rump is marked with a large white 
patch, and all have white stockings from above the knees and hocks down to the hoofs. The 
tail is considerably longer than in the gaur, coming well below the hocks. As might be 
expected from its distribution, the size of this animal and the shape of the horns vary 
considerably in the different districts which it inhabits. In Borneo the horns often curve 
forwards ; in Java they spread outwards. In the latter island large herds of this species are 
kept in a state of domestication. When wild, banting live in small herds, and in Burma 
feed from early morning until ten o'clock, when they retire into the jungle for shelter. The 
Manipur race is smaller than that of Burma (of which the males are not black), and the bulls 
have not the white rump. 

THE YAK 

The Yak is naturally an inhabitant of the very high plateaux and mountains of Tibet, 
where the climate is cold and the air excessively dry. Lower down on the Indian side of the 
Himalaya a smaller race is found domesticated, which is the only one able to stand the 
climate of India, or of Europe, where it is now kept in some parks as a curiosity. The tamed 
yaks are usually much smaller than the wild ; these sometimes reach a weight of between 
1,100 and 1,200 lbs. In form they are long and low, very massive, and with hair almost 
entirely black ; this falls off along the sides into a long sweeping fringe. The tail is thickly 
tasselled with fine hair, and is employed by Indian princes for fly-flaps. The wild yak has 
large, massive black horns, curved upwards and forwards in the male. In Ladak and Chinese 
Tibet the yaks inhabit a desolate and barren country, in which their main food is a dry, 



THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 



213 



coarse grass, on which they nevertheless contrive to keep themselves in condition, feeding in 
the mornings and evenings, and lying down by day to rest among the rocks. 

THE BISON 

The Bison form a marked group, differing from others of the Ox Tribe. They possess 
fourteen pairs of ribs, while the oxen have only thirteen (the yak has fourteen) ; and have very- 
heavy, massive heads, broader and more convex foreheads than the oxen, longer spinal processes 
on the vertebrae of the front part of the back, and larger muscles to hold the ponderous head, 
causing a hump, which in the American bison is very marked. There are two living species 
of bison, one of which is found in Europe, the other in North America. 

The European Bison 

This is the most interesting survival of the primitive fauna of the Old World. It is still 
found wild, though protected, in a large forest in Lithuania, the property of the Czar of Russia, 
called the Forest of Bielowitza. A few are also left of the purely wild stock iii the Caucasus. 
Those in Lithuania have been protected for several centuries, and the herd is numbered from 
time to time. In 1857 there were 1,898 of these bison left; in 1882 there were only 600; 
in 1889 the herd had sunk to 380, but in 1892 it had risen to 491. The presence of 
the bison in the Caucasus had been almost forgotten till Mr. Littledale and Prince Demidoff 
gave accounts of hunting it there quite recently. The ZUBR, as it is called, only survives 
in some very inaccessible parts of the mountains, preserved by the Grand Duke Sergius 
Michaelovitch, in the Kouban district. There it exists as a really wild animal. The dimensions 
of one recently shot were 10 feet from the muzzle to the end of the last vertebra of the 
tail. The Grand Duke has to obtain special permission from the Czar to shoot one whenever 
he goes to the Caucasus. 

This bison seems to have been an inhabitant of most of the forests of Europe and 
Northern Asia; its remains show that it existed in Britain, and it was plentiful in the Black 
Forest in the time of Caesar. It i? the largest of all European quadrupeds, measuring as 
much as 10 feet i inch from the nose to the root of the tail, and standing nearly 6 feet 
high at the shoulder. Prince Demidoff states his belief that it is found on the southern 
slopes of the Caucasus Range between the hills and the Black Sea. The weight of this bison 
reaches 1,700 lbs. It is now 
rare to see more than five 
or six together. Though the 
animal is so massive, its horns 
are rather small and slender, 
and curve upwards. The 
mane — which, like the rest of 
the coat, is of a uniform rich 
brown — is thick and curly, but 
not developed like that of the 
American bison. 

The American Bison 

The American bison is 
the western representative of 
the bison of Europe. The 
almost complete disappear- 
ance of this species is one of 
the warnings against reckless 
destruction of animal life. It INDIAN HUMPED CATTLE 

was formerly found in millions ^^^ ^^* */^^ ^^^^^ ^^« '» Europe^ imt the vr^n oftkt name is unknown 




214 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




DOMESTICATED YAK 

TAe ivild hovint animal of tkt Central Asian plattau^ tamed and dowusticated 



on the prairies, and its meat formed 
the staple food of the Red Indians, 
who lived on the flesh and used the 
"robes" of those killed in winter 
for great coats and bedding. When 
Audubon went up the Upper Missouri, 
bison were in sight almost through- 
out the voyage; they were even 
carried down on ice-flows on the river. 
The bulls were very large, and were 
occasionally savage, especially when 
attacked and wounded; but usually 
they were harmless animals. Every 
winter and spring they made migra- 
tions along regular routes to fresh 
pastures. These lines of travel were 
then black with bison. The females 
had their calves by their sides, and 
all travelled in herds, feeding as 
they went. At the present time the 
only remains of the bison are the 
paths they left on the prairies, and 
their bones and skulls. The paths 
are still distinctly seen, worn by the 
" treks " of the great beasts which 
have now perished. The bones were collected in stacks and sold to make manure. 

President Roosevelt, in an article contributed to " The Encylopaedia of Sport," thus describes 
the destruction of the bison : ** Pursuit by sportsmen had nothing to do with the extermination 
of the bison. It was killed by the hide-hunters, redskin, white, and half-breed. The railways, 
as they were built, hastened its destruction, for they gave means of transporting the heavy 
robes to market But it would have been killed out anyhow, even were there no railroads in 
existence. Once the demand for the robes became known to the Indians, they were certain to 
exterminate it. Originally the bison ranged from the Rocky Mountains to the Alleghanies, and 
from Mexico to the Peace River. But its centre of abundance was the vast extent of grass land 
stretching from the Saskatchewan to the Rio Grande. All the earlier explorers who crossed 
these great plains, from Lewis and Clarke onwards, spoke of the astonishing multitudes of the 
bison, which formed the sole food of the Horse Indians. The herds were pressed steadily back, 
but the slaughter did not begin till after the Civil War; then the commercial value of the 
robes became fully recognised, and the transcontinental railways rendered the herds more 
accessible. The slaughter was almost incredible, for the bison were slain literally by millions 
every year. They were first exterminated in Canada and the southern plains. It was not till 
1883 that the last herd was killed off from the great north-western prairies." 

The height of a fine bull American bison at the shoulder is 6 feet. The horns are 
short, blunt, and curved, and set farther back on the forehead than in the European species. 
The hindquarters are low and weak, and the mane develops in winter into a thick robe, 
covering the neck, shoulders, and chest. An adult bull bison was found to weigh 1,727 lbs. 
The woodland bison of Athabasca, now nearly exterminated, are larger than the prairie-bison, 
and have finer coats. In 1897 there were said to be between 280 and 300 head remaining 

in two herds. 

THE BUFFALOES 

The Buffaloes are so far distinct from other wild cattle that they will not interbreed 
with them ; yet one species, the Indian Buffalo, has been domesticated for a long, though 




Bj ftrmisthn tf th$ Niw r»ri Z»*Ugical Stcittj 



AMERICAN BULL BISON 



TAt American hison {^locally called " buffalo ** ) /i lonver behind than in European brother ; but the withers, at will be seen from the photography 

are stronger and more massive^ and its mane considerably longer 

315 



2i6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




EUROPEAN BISON 

T^st wild animals of the Caucasus are 'very much scarcer than formerly^ and art in danger 

of becoming extinct 



unknown period, and is 
among the most valuable of 
tame beasts of draught, as 
well as for dairy purposes. 
The various buffaloes usually 
have little hair, especially 
when old, and have flatter 
shoulders than the gaur, 
gayal, or bison. The pairs 
of ribs number thirteen. 

The African Buffalo 

Great differences in size 
and colour exist in the Afri- 
can Buffaloes. Whether 
they are separate species or 
not may be doubtful; but 
the small yellow CONGO 
Buffalo, with upturned short 
horns, is a vastly different 
creature from the large black 
Cape Buffalo. There is also an Abyssinian or brown race of African buffalo, and another in 
Senegambia smaller than the former, and a reputed grey race near Lake Tchad. The Cape 
buffalo is a heavy, thickset animal, all black in colour, with large massive horns covering the 
skull, and nearly meeting in the middle line of the forehead. In height it varies from 4 feet 
10 inches to 5 feet at the shoulder. This species ranges from South Africa to the Congo oa 
the west, and to the region of the Equator on the ^ast of the continent. Firearms, and 
lately rinderpest, have greatly reduced the number of these creatures. They live and feed 
in herds, and, like the Indian species, are fond of the neighbourhood of water, in which they 
bathe, but are not so dependent on bathing and wallowing as the former. 

Fully as formidable as the Indian buffalo, and much like it in habits, the African species 
is quite distinct. It has different horns, broad at the base and curled and tapering at the 
ends. Among the extreme measurements of the Indian buffalo's horns recorded is one of 
12 feet 2 inches from tip to tip along the curve. Those of the African buffalo are seldom 
more than 6 feet, measured in the same way. By far the greatest number of hunting accidents 
in Africa are caused by the buffalo. Sir Samuel Baker shot a buffalo bull one evening near 
the White Nile. His men actually danced upon the body, when the animal rose to its feet, 
and sent them flying into the river like so many frogs. It then disappeared in the thick 
vegetation. On the following day, supposing that it must have died during the night, thirty 
or forty men, armed with double-barrelled guns, went to look for it. The result was thus 
recorded by Sir Samuel Baker: "They had not been ashore for many minutes when I 
first heard a shot and then a regular volley. My people returned with the head of the 
buffalo and a large quantity of meat, but they also carried the body of my best man, who^ 
when leading the way through the high reeds, following the traces of blood, actually stumbled 
upon the buffalo lying in the swamp, and the light guns failed to stop its charge. The 
crooked horn had caught him behind the ear, and, penetrating completely through the neck, 
had torn out the throat as though it had been cut. The savage beast had then knelt upon' 
the body, and stamped it into the muddy ground, until it fell beneath the fire of thirty men." 
The head and body of a male Cape buffalo are 9 feet long. It is stated that the parasite 
conveyed by the tsetse fly remains in the blood of the buffalo (which is not affected by it), 
and that this forms a reserve whence the fly, after sucking the blood of the buffalo, poisons 
other animals. 



THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 



217 



The Congo Buffalo 

This is a very small race, the height at the shoulder being about 3 feet 6 inches. The 
shape of the horns varies, but they are wrinkled at the bases and flattened, and turn upwards, 
ending in thin, sharp tips. The hair is bright reddish yellow. It is entirely a West African 
species. Sir Samuel Baker records an instance in which his brother was nearly killed by a 
small West African buffalo, probably one of the species in question. It is said to be less 
gregarious than the Cape buffalo, and usually found in pairs. 

The Indian or Water-buffalo 

Very great interest attaches to this animal, if only from the fact that it is evidently a 
species domesticated directly from the wild stock. It therefore deserves consideration both as 
a wild and as a domesticated animal. It is found wild in the swampy jungles at the foot of 
the Himalaya, in the Ganges Delta, and in the jungles of the Central Provinces ; also, it is 
believed, in the jungles of West Assam. Like the African species, it is an animal of great 
size and strength, with short brown hair, white fetlocks, and immense long, narrow, flattened 
horns. It is almost aquatic by preference, passing many hours of each day wallowing in the 
water, or standing in any deep pool with only the tips of its nostrils and its horns out of 
the water. By general consent it is the most dangerous of Indian animals after the tiger. A 
buffalo bull when wounded will hunt for its enemy by scent as persistently as a dog hunting 
for a rabbit. A writer in Countiy Life lately gave an account ot a duel between himself, 
armed with a small and light rifle, and a buffalo bull, in which the latter hunted him for 
more than an hour, each time being driven off* by a shot from the light rifle, and each time 
returning to the search, until it was killed. Sir Samuel Baker, when he first went to Ceylon, 
found the buffaloes practically in possession of the meadows round a lake in the neighbourhood 
of his quarters, and waged a war of extermination against the bulls, which were very dangerous. 




AMERICAN BISON 
Notia tht Sfftrtnce in the f on and hind quarters of this animal and the European representative of the same group, {See pa^e ai6*) 
28 



2l8 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The buffaloes of Ceylon 
are the same as those of 
India, but the horns are 
inferior in size. ** The charge 
of a buffalo is a serious 
matter," says Sir Samuel 
Baker. '* Many animals charge 
when infuriated, but they can 
generally be turned aside by 
the stunning blow of a rifle- 
shot, even if they be not 
mortally wounded. But a 
buffalo is a devil incarnate 
when it has once decided on 
the offensive; nothing will 
turn it. It must be actually 
stopped by death, sudden and 
instantaneous, as nothing else 
will stop it. If not killed, 
it will assuredly destroy its 
adversar>^ Thereisnocreature 
in existence so determined 
to stamp the life out of its 
opponents, and the intensity 
of its fury is unsurpassed 
when a wounded bull rushes 
forward upon its last desperate 
charge. Should it succeed in 
overthrowing its antagonist, it 
will not only gore the body 

with its horns, but will kneel upon the lifeless form, and stamp it with its hoofs till the 

mutilated remains are beyond recog- 
nition." 

The true Indian buffalo is usually 

shot from the back of an elephant. 

Hunting it on foot is dangerous in 

the extreme, for the buffalo can crash 

through obstacleswhich would prevent 

any man from making his way through 

them when escaping. When domesti- 
cated, the Indian buffalo loses most 

traces of its savageness ; it is habitually 

managed by the children, who take 

the herds out to graze in the jungle, 

and drive them back, often riding on 

one of the bulls, at night. They 

dislike Europeans, and often show 

this by attacking them ; but other- 
wise they are quite tame, and are 

docile when in harness or carrying 

burdens. The buffalo's milk is very 

rich, and makes a much larger per- 




CAPE BUFFALO 

Notict the striUng Sfftrence depicted on this page between the two species of buffalo — the 

Indian and the Cape 




rOMESTICATED INDIAN BUFFALO 

This animal is found as a wild and domesticated species tn InSa. It h valuabJt 
as a blast of draught and for the dairy 



THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 



219 



centage of butter than ordinary cow's milk. So useful is this mud- and water-loving animal 
in all swampy districts, that wherever rice is cultivated it is almost indispensable. The 
result is that the Indian buffalo has been transported, probably in comparatively modern 
times, to many distant quarters of the globe. When this was done is not known ; but it is 
probable, for instance, that it was not known in Egypt in the days of the Pharaohs, for its 
form never appears in the paintings and sculptures. Now it is seen very far up the Nile, and 
plays an important part in Egyptian agriculture ; it is also the general beast of burden and 
for the dairy in the Pontine Marshes of Italy. In Spain it was probably introduced by the 
Arabs, and is used to cultivate the marshy plains near the mouths of the rivers of Andalusia; 
it is also in use in the marshes of Hungary, in the Crimea, and across Western Asia to 
Afghanistan. We have thus the curious fact that a wild animal once confined to the jungles 
of the Indian Peninsula is now domesticated on two other continents. It has not been 




^n^^- 



A PAIR OF ANOAS 

TAe anoa is the smalUtt and most ut^teLpe-like memoer of the Ox Tribe 



introduced into America yet, though it would be useful in the Mississippi swamps; but the 
Chinese have taken it to the Far East, and established it as their favourite beast of burden. 

The Tamarau and Anoa 

In the island of Mindoro, in the Philippines, a small black buffalo, with upright, slightly 
incurved horns, is found in the dense forests. The height at the shoulder is about 3 feet 
6 inches; a few irregular marks of white are found on the fore legs, face, and occasionally 
the throat. It is called the Tamarau by the natives, most of whom fear to attack it. Its 
habits are said to be much the same as those of the other buffaloes ; but it is reputed to fight 
with the Indian buffaloes which have escaped and become semi-wild in the forests. 

In Celebes a still smaller wild forest-buffalo is found, called the Anoa. It is only 3 feet 
3 inches high at the shoulder, and has upright, almost straight horns. The general colour 
is brownish, tinged with yellow, that of the adults being very dark brown or black. Scarcely 
anything is known of its habits. 



220 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



THE MUSK-OX 

The Musk-ox was formerly 
found in immense numbers on 
the barren lands and other regions 
bordering on the Arctic ice. The 
hair of this animal reaches almost 
to the ground, and the horns are 
large and massive. At present it 
is only common in the corner of 
North America north and east of 
a line drawn from Fort Churchill, 
on Hudson Bay, to the mouth of 
the Mackenzie, and on the adjacent 
islands of the Arctic Sea. In 
former Arctic expeditions the flesh 
of the musk-oxen was a great 
and reliable source of food. Now 
some parts of the herds seem to 
have retired inland, and in the 
winter to become mainly forest- 
dwellers ; but large numbers seem 
to endure the coldest parts of the 
Arctic winter in the open country 
of the Far North, in the snows 
of Grinnell Land and of Northern 
Greenland. The remains of musk- 
oxen have been found in the river 
gravels of the Thames Valley, with 
those of the reindeer and other 
northern species. The musk-ox 
gallops at a great rate of speed when disturbed in the open, and makes as little of a steep 
mountain-side as does the wild sheep. When fat, the flesh is very tolerable food ; but if the 
animals grow thin, the taste of musk is very unpleasant. The colour of the coat is dark 
brown ; it is now in great demand for sledge-rugs in Canada. This remarkable animal appears 
to be a form standing apart both from the oxen and the sheep. 




YOUNG BULL MUSK-OX 

Tki musk-ox is nearly allied to the sheep. It is about the size of Highland eattU^ and 
inhabits Arctic America and Northern Greenland 



It will be seen from the above accounts of the whole wild bovine race that they all exhibit 
in a high degree many of the traits which are seen in domesticated animals of the same 
tribe. The chief diff*erences made by man's selection and breeding affect the form of the body 
and the development of the udder, otherwise there is no great modification, except the production 
of the drooping ear in some of the Indian species of domesticated oxen. No wild cattle have 
the level, flat back and rectangular body which mark all the best shorthorns and other breeds 
intended for beef. In the Asiatic and Galla humped breeds, the races which first domesticated 
the original wild species seem to have used the long processes of the vertebrae which cause 
the back of many wild cattle to form a hump as the basis of a valuable feature, the hump 
becoming as it were another joint of meat. The development of the udder has for untolc^ 
centuries been the object of the breeders of cows; consequently we find that in the domesticated 
races this has become abnormally large. There is at present a very general tendency to get 
rid of the horns among all breeds of high quality, as these appendages cause much loss by 
wounds inflicted by cattle upon each other; but even in this respect sentiment rather tends to 
preserve the horns as an o-nament in some of the best milking breeds, such as the Jerseys 



CHAPTER XIV 
THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



THE SHEEP 



THE sheep are represented at the present time by several wild species, one of which is 
found in Northern India east of the Indus, in the Punjab, and in Sind; one in 
North America; and another in North Africa. The rest inhabit the high ground of 
Europe and Asia as far south as the Himalaya. These mountains, with the adjacent plateaux 
of the Pamirs and the great ranges of Central Asia, form the main home of the group. 
Wild sheep are of various types, some so much like the goats that it is difficult to draw a 
hard-and-fast line between them; while others, especially the Curly-horned Argalis, Bighorns, 
Oorial, and Kamchatka Wild Sheep, are unmistakably ovine in type. The wild original of 
the domesticated breeds of sheep is unknown ; but the extreme differences between various 
breeds of tame sheep — as, for instance, between the smooth-coated, drooping-eared breed of 
Nubia and the curly-horned, woolly sheep of Dorsetshire — must not be allowed to divert the 
attention from the considerable likeness of habit which still remains between other breeds 
and the wild species. Domesticated sheep which live on hills and mountains are still inclined 
to seek the highest ground at night. The rams fight as the wild rams do, and many of them 
display activity and powers of climbing and of finding a living on barren ground scarcely less 
remarkable than in the wild races. 
The apparent absence of wool in 
the latter does not indicate so 
great a difference as might be 
thought. The domesticated sheep 
have been bred by artificial selection 
for unnumbered ages in order to 
produce wool. It is said that in 
some of the wild breeds there is 
an under-fur which will " felt " like 
wool. Most of the species are short- 
tailed animals, but this is not the 
case with the Barbary wild sheep. 
• Wild sheep are mainly 
mountain-living animals or 
frequenters of high ground. They 
generally, although not always, 
frequent less rugged country than 
that affected by the wild goats, and 
some are found at quite low levels. 
The altitude at which other wild 
sheep are found is, however, very . 
great; on the Pamirs it reaches 
20,000 feet. Here the country is 
quite open. 




FhtU by (r. ly. WlUm A* C».» Ltd. 

YOUNG BARBARY SHEEP 

Note the length of the tail at compared with other wild sheep 



221 



222 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The European Moufflon 

The only wild sheep of Europe is the MOUFFLON, found in the mountains of Corsica and 
Sardinia. Its height at the shoulder is about 27 inches. In the rams the horns are strong, 
and curved into a spiral, forming almost a complete circle. The hair is close, and in winter 
has a woolly under-fur. In summer and autumn the coat is a bright red-brown on the neck, 
shoulders, and legs ; the rump and under-parts are whitish, and the back and flanks marked with 
a white saddle. In winter the brown becomes darker and the white saddle broader. A rather 
larger moufflon is found on Mount Klburz in Persia, in Armenia, and in the Taurus Mountains. 
A smaller variety exists in Cyprus, where it has been preserved since the British occupation. 
The moufflon is a typical wild sheep. In Sardinia and Corsica are dense scrubby forests of 
tall heather, some 5 feet high. This maquia is practically impenetrable to hunters. When 
alarmed, the moufflon dash into it, and are safe. The maquia has preserved two very interesting 
survivals of antiquity — the moufflon, and the Corsican or Sardinian bandit. The Corsican bandit, 

like the moufflon of the same island, 
is nearly extinct. In Sardinia both 
flourish. Many sportsmen have had 
their first taste of big-game shooting 
in the difficult pursuit of the moufflon 
on the Sardinian mountains. Some 
declare that the sport is so fascinating 
that they have seldom found much 
to equal it since. Mr. S. H. Whit- 
bread, whose notes in **The Ency- 
clopaedia of Sport *' are very full on 
this subject, deems that the best 
season to stalk moufflon is in October 
or November. The animals are then 
less disturbed by shepherds and dogs, 
and the moufflon are on the move 
and more easily seen during the day 
than in summer, when they feed at 
night and rest or sleep by day. 

There is a small herd of mouflSon 

running wild in one of the English 

parks. They have a specially built 

" mountain-top " of stone to make a 

home of, but are free to feed where they like in the park. They produce lambs yearly. It is 

an interesting sight to see the quick rush of the little flock, when frightened, to their sheltering- 

place, led by an old white saddled ram. 

The Argalis 

The Argalis are the largest of all living wild sheep. Some measure from 3 feet 9 inches 
to 4 feet at the shoulder. The horns are broad, corrugated, and curling in the male, and 
in the female short, erect, and curving backwards. The male TIBETAN Argali has a ruff on 
the throat. The usual colour is a stony grey,' mingled with white in the summer in the case 
of the old males. The name is applied collectively to several wild sheep found in Northern 
and Central Asia. Whether these are only varieties or separate species it is difficult to say; 
but the following are some of the most marked forms. 

The SiBERAiN Argali is the characteristic wild sheep of the rocky hills and mountains of 
Southern Siberia, the Altai Mountains, and Northern Mongolia. The horns curve so as to form 
more than a complete circle; the upper parts are tinged with grey, and the lower are white. 




SIBERIAN ARGALI 

One of the large tvi/J iheep of Central Asia 



THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



223 




, BARBARY SHE^P 

Theufint toild ikeep art found in the Atlas and Aura Mountains of North Africa 



The Tibetan Argali is a little 
smaller in size, and has slightly 
smaller horns. The rams have also 
a large white ruff on the throat. 
These sheep descend in winter to the 
lower valleys of the Tibetan plateau, 
returning to the higher ground in 
spring. The lambs are boj-n in May 
or June. 

LiTTLEDALE'S ShEEP is a 

smaller animal, found on the Sair 

Mountains in the Great Altai, on the 

northwestern border of Mongolia. It 

is darker in colour than the argali or 

Marco Polo's sheep, and has dark 

under-parts. 

Writing of the argali of Southern 

Siberia, the naturalist Brehm says 

that when the Tartars want mutton 

an argali hunt is organised. The 

Tartar hunters advance on their horses 

at intervals of 200 or 300 yards, and 

when the sheep are started generally 

manage, by riding, shooting, coursing them with dogs, and shouting, to bewilder, shoot, or 

capture several. 

On the high plateau of the Pamirs and the adjacent districts Marco Polo's Sheep is 

found. The rams are only slightly less in size than the Siberian argali ; the hair is longer than 

in that species, and the horns are thinner and more slender and extend farther in an outward 

direction. An adult ram may weigh 300 lbs. The first description of this sheep was given 

by the old traveller whose name it now bears. He said that on the Pamir plateau wild 

animals are met with in large numbers, 
particularly a sheep of great size, 
having horns three, four, and even 
six palms in length. The shepherds 
(? hunters) form ladles and vessels 
from them. In the Pamirs. Marco 
Polo's sheep is seldom found at less 
than 1 1,000 or 12,000 feet above the 
sea. In the Thian-shan Mountains 
it is said to descend to 2,000 or 
3,000 feet. They prefer the hilly, 
grassy plains, and only seek the hills 
for safety. On the Pamirs they are 
said to be very numerous in places, 
one hunter stating that he saw !n 
one day not less than 600 head. 

The Bighorn Sheep of America 

AND K.\mchatka 

«,«.,*,.,, ^,,^^.. North America has its parallel 

BARBARY SHEEP ^ , ,. . . r t. 

to the argalis in the famous BIGHORN. 

Thn shows ajine ram, with a mane reaching a/most to its hoof It is nOW Very rare eVCn in Northem 




224 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




ikti* ij y. u\ MiLM&7i 



BUftHAL WILD SHEEP 

Hometiwus called the Blue Sheep. They have a wide range both on the Htmutlaya and 
north of thou mountains 



Canada, and becoming scarce in the 
United States, though a few are 
found here and there at various 
points on the Rocky Mountains 
as far south as Mexico. In habits 
it is much the same as other 
wild sheep — that is to say, it 
haunts the rock-hills and "bad 
lands " near the mountains, feeding 
on the scanty herbage of the high 
ground, and not descending unless 
driven down by snow. 

The bighorn sheep are very 
partial to salt. Mr. Turner 
Turner, who hunted them in 
East Kooteney, says : ** Wild sheep 
make periodical excursions to the 
mountain-tops to gorge themselves 
with salty clay. They may remain 
from an hour to two days, and 
when killed their stomachs will 
be found full of nothing but the 
clay formed from denuded lime- 
stone, which they lick and gnaw until sometimes deep tunnels are formed in the cliffs, large 
enough to hide six or seven sheep. The hunter, standing over one of these warrens, may 
bolt them within two yards of him. In the dead of winter sheep often come to the woods to 
feed on fir-trees. At such times they may be seen mixed with black-and-white-tailed deer, 
low on a river-bank. I have known them come within forty yards of an inhabited hut." 

While on the subject of the fondness of sheep and deer for salt, we may mention an 
anecdote told by Mr. H. C. Nelson in Country Life, He was sleeping with two other friends 
in a hut in the mountains where some miners had lived for a time. These men, when 
they washed up their pots and pans, threw the slops away at a certain place close by the 
hut. As all water used for cooking meat has salt put into it, a little salt remained on the 
surface. This the wild deer had found out, and were in the habit of coming to lick it at 
night. Mr. Nelson had a shot at one some twenty yards from the hut. 

The bighorn sheep stands from 3 feet 2 inches to 3 feet 6 inches at the shoulder. The 
horns are of the general type of the argalis, but smoother. Another bighorn is found in 
Kamchatka. There is also a beautiful white race of bighorn inhabiting Alaska. The typical 
Rocky Mountain race is browner than .the Asiatic argalis, and in winter is dark even beneath 
the front parts of the body. It is not found on the high peaks of the great ranges, but on 
difficult though lower ground on the minor hills. 

The Oorial 

The vast range of the Himalaya affords feeding- ground to other species of wild sheep 
and wild goat, so different in the shape of the horns that the variations of the ovine race 
under domestication need not be matter for wonder when so much variety is seen in nature. 

The Oorial, or Sha, is found in North-west India, on the Trans-Indus Mountains, and 
in Ladak, Northern Tibet, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Turkestan, and Southern Persia. The 
horns make a half-curve backwards, and are flattened. The angle with the horizontal line 
across the ears is about half a right angle. The coat is of a reddish-brown colour, with white 
on the belly, legs, and throat. This species has a very wide geographical distribution, and is 
the only wild sheep found in India proper. 



THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



225 



The Barbary Sheep, Aoudad, 
OR- Arui 
This is a large wild sheep of 

the North African highlands. The 

old rams have a very fine appearance, 

with a long flowing beard or mane, 

and large horns. These wild sheep, 

though somewhat goat-like in appear- 
ance, are typical of their race in 

general habits. They live in the 

Atlas Range, and in the splendid 

heights of the Aures Mountains, which 

lie at the back of Algeria and fringe 

the great Sahara Desert. In the 

isolated and burning rocks which jut 

up in the desert itself into single 

mountains they are also found, living 

on ground which seems absolutely 

destitute of water, grass, or vegetation. 

They live singly or in small families ; 

but the rams keep mainly alone. 

Sometimes they lie in shallow caves 

during the heat of the day. These 

caves smell like a sheep-fold. More 

generally the sheep repose on some 

shelf of rock, where they exactly 

match the colour of the stone, and 

are invisible. The ground is among 

the most difficult in which any hunt- 
ing is attempted, except perhaps in 

chamois stalking; but the pursuit seeois to fascinate sportsmen. Mr. A. E. Fease recently 

gave some charming descrip- 
tions of the silence, the rugged 
rocks, and the astonishing 
views over the great orange 
Sahara Desert seen from the 
tops of these haunts of the 
Barbary sheep — mountains on 
the summits of which his Arab 
guides would prostrate them- 
selves in evening prayer as; 
the sun sank over the desert, 
and then, rising, once more 
resume the chase. The young 
lambs of the Barbary sheep 
are charming little creatures, . 
more like reddish kids. They 
can follow the mother over the 
steepest ground at a great 
pace. When caught, as they 
sometimes are by the Arabs, 
they soon become tame. The 




Fhf ky J,r. Vtiaman\ IttrOmmsttd 

PUNJAB SHEEP 
TAis is an examplt o/ont o/tJki bretdi wAicA carry no wotl wAatever 




IStrth Flnchlt; 



Fh$f h t. MUlmnd^ F.Z.S.'] 

FAT-TAILED SHEEP 

Tbe/ai tail of this sheep was considered hy Charles Darwin as due to degeneration 

a9 



226 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




n9t9 bj ty. p. DMa»] 



lR*t'»t*i Park 



FOUR-HORNED SHEEP 



TAere are several breedt of these shtep, some from CAina, some from Iceland^ and others from 

South Africa 



XaiX^ is longer than in other 
wild sheep, and in the males 
a large mane covers the chest. 

The Burhal, or Blue Sheep 

This species possibly indi- 
cates the transition-point from 
the sheep to the goats. It 
was pointed out by Mr. Brian 
Hodgson that it had certain 
features more like the goats 
than the sheep, and later 
other writers laid stress on 
structural differences of the 
same kind, both in skull and 
horns. It has not the dis- 
agreeable odour of the goats ; 
but the black markings which 
separate the white of the belly 
from the brown of the flanks, and run down the front of the legs, are like those seen on some goats. 
The horns rise in a curve outwards and downwards. The largest are only some 30 inches long. 
Burhal are perhaps the commonest of all Asiatic wild sheep. They inhabit the whole 
length of the higher Himalayan Range, and are found over and round the Central Asian plateau 
as far north as Yarkand. The horns make two half-moons at right angles to the skull. Unlike 
some of the other wild sheep, burhal often climb the very highest ground of all. Much of 
the best burhal ground is above 17,000 feet high, and, as Mr. Whitbread remarks, this alone 
makes the chase of such an animal difficult. As in the moufflon, the mutton is excellent. 
There is no difficulty whatever in taming these wild Himalayan sheep ; those in the Zoological 
Gardens are practically domesticated. 

Domesticated Sheep 

Under domestication sheep exhibit a wide variety of coat, shape, and size, very striking 
to the eye, and very important in regard to 
the produce of wool or mutton. The intro- 
duction of a particular breed, with long wool 
or short wool as the case may be, has often 
saved or altered for a time the economic 
condition of a colony or province. It was 
the introduction of the sheep which gave 
Australia first rank among the rich colonies 
of the world; and the discovery that the 
Cheviot breed would thrive on the Scotch 
hills made millions of acres remunerative 
which might otherwise have been very un- 
productive. But the only important change 
in the structure of the sheep in domestica- 
tion is the lengthening of the tail. The 
carcase may be fat mutton or thin mutton, 
the wool long or short, fine or coarse ; but 
the sheep itself remams true to type, and of 
much the same docile habits, under all the SOUTH DOWN SHEEP 

changes of the breeders. Tht finest hreed of down-sheep 




THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



227 



We may first say a word or two as to foreign breeds of sheep, especially those of the East 
Some of these resemble the wild breeds in having smooth coats and almost no wool. The SOMALI 
Sheep, for instance, yield no wool useful for felting or spinning. They have drooping ears and 
black heads. Some of the finest natural wool is developed by a white sheep in Tibet. The fur 
is usually sold as Tibetan lamb. The wool is exactly like white floss-silk. When cured by 
the Chinese, the leather is like white kid, with this flossy wool attached. 

In India and Persia the sheep is sometimes used as a beast of burden. Mr. Lockwood 
Kipling, in his ** Beast and Man in India," says: "Borax, asafcetida, and other commodities 
are brought into India on the backs of sheep in bags. The flocks are driven in large numbers 
from Tibet into British territory. One of the sensations of journeying in the hills of the 
' interior,' as the farther recesses of the mountains are called by Anglo-Indians, is to come 
suddenly on such a drove, as it winds, with the multitudinous click of little feet, round the 




MERINO RAMS 
TAi best wool'producing iheep. Imported from Spain to Australia 



{iThh^y S.B. 



shoulder of some Himalayan spur. The coarse hair bags scrape the cliflside from which the 
narrow path is built out or hollowed, and allow but scant room for your pony, startled by the 
hurry and the quick-breathing rush of the creatures as they crowd and scuffle past Only 
the picturesque shepherds return from these journeys. The carriers of the caravan (/. e. the 
sheep), feeding as they go, gather flesh in spite of their burdens, and provide most excellent 
mutton. ... In the towns of the plains rams are kept as fighting animals. A Mohammedan 
swell going out for a stroll with his fighting-ram makes a picture of foppery not easily 
surpassed by the sporting * fancy' of the West. The ram is neatly clipped, with a judicious 
reservation of the salient tufts, tipped with- saffron and mauve dye, and besides a large collar 
oi blue beads it wears a necklace of hawk-bells." 

The Fat-tailed Sheep of Persia and Tartary exhibits a curious provision of nature. When 
food is plentiful, a quantity of fat accumulates on the tail and croup. As the pasture dries up 
and the animal finds little food, this store of fat is gradually absorbed. Another fat-tailed 
sheep is found from Syria and Egypt to the Cape. This has a long tail reaching to the 



228 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




ground. In the Egyptian breed the tail is 
broad throughout ; in the Syrian it narrows 
to a point. The ordinary weight of the 
Syrian sheep's tail is 15 lbs.; but in some 
well fattened examples it reaches 70 or 
80 lbs. Ludolph saw in Egypt a sheep's tail 
of 80 lbs. weight. This overgrown tail is a 
great encumbrance to the animal. In order 
to lighten the burden, the shepherds fasten 
under it a small board, sometimes with wheels 
attached, to make it easy to draw over the 
ground. 

In Greece, Wallachia, and Western Asia 
a fine breed of sheep, quite different from 
the English forms, is seen. It is called the 
Wallachian Sheep. When the Zoological 
Gardens were first founded here, some of 
these sheep were introduced and crossed with 
English breeds. The horns are tall spirals, 
as in the great kudu antelope. The body 
is large, and the fleece long and straight, 
and more like that of the long-haired goats 
than curly wool. 

There are now few countries in the 
world to which sheep have not been intro- 
duced. They were probably among the 
earliest animals to be domesticated. Cer- 
tainly they are the first to be mentioned; 

for we learn that " Abel was a keeper of sheep," while Cain tilled the earth. The feud 

bet\veen the keeper of flocks and the grower of crops 

typified in this ancient quarrel still goes on wherever 

the wild mountain breeds of sheep are kept, for 

there is of necessity always danger that the wander- 
ing sheep may raid the plots of corn. In Spain a 

curious and ancient set of laws regulates the passage 

of the flocks to and from the mountain pastures 

through the corn-lands. 

It is said that the name of the famous breed of 

Spanish sheep known as Merinos recalls their foreign 

origin from across the sea, and that they were originally 

imported into Spain from England. Whether that be 

so or not, it is certain that no one could recognise 

them now. The finest merino sheep, especially those 

bred in Australia, into which country they were 

imported some forty years ago, look as if covered 

with a dense growth of moss. The close wool grows 

not only on their backs, sides, and bellies, but on legs, 

forehead, and nose. There are believed to be ten 

millions of merino sheep in Spain, most of which 

are migratory. They are called ** transhumantes," 

and are taken from the plains to the mountains 

and from the mountains to the plains yearly. These 



P9ff fy J. r. Nnowuin] IBtrkhswuta 

BLACK-FACED MOUNTAIN-SHEEP 
TJk* tkeep of tki high mountains and kemtker-moort 




Phtf hj 7. T. f/namsn] 



lB4rikamst$d 



LEICESTER EWE 



THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



229 



" transhumantes " are divided into flocks, each under a head shepherd, or " majoral." The 
flocks follow the shepherds, who lead the way, and direct the length and speed of the journey. 
A few wethers, trained to the business, follow the shepherds, and the rest come in due order. 
Powerful dogs accompany them as guards. This system of sheep migration is controlled by 
a tribunal termed the Mesta. It can be traced back to the middle of the fourteenth century. 
By it persons are prohibited from travelling along the course of the route pursued by the 
flocks so long as they are on the road. It also maintains the right for the flocks to graze 
on all the open or common land that lies in the way. Moreover, it claims a path ninety 
yards wide through all enclosed and cultivated country. The length of the journey is over 
400 miles, which is accomplished in six or seven weeks. The system works greatly to the 
injury of local cultivators and stationary flocks, whose fields are injured by the migratory sheep. 




F)m» bj H^, R0kO 



imthsw^ N.B, 



CROSS-BRED SHEEP 

TMt clou oftkeep kept mainly on cultivated land in the North MidUndt 

English Breeds of Sheep 

In England are reared the finest and most valuable sheep. This is evident from the 
prices paid for them by foreigners and breeders in our colonies. Except for merinos, no 
one comes to any other country but this when about to seek new blood for their flocks or 
to stock new lands. Recently 1,000 guineas were paid by a firm in Argentina for a single 
Lincoln ram. 

DiflTerences, well marked and of great importance, exist between our different breeds. Each 
suits its own district, and each is carefully improved and kept pure by herd-books, in which all 
pedigree animals are entered. 

The " general utility sheep" in England is the South Down; in Scotland, the BORDER 
Leicester. The former is a small, fine sheep, with close wool, and yielding excellent mutton. 
It provides the meat sold in our best shops, and has largely stocked New Zealand. The 
original breed of England was possibly the COTSWOLD ; it is a tall, long-woolled, white-fleeced 



230 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fh»t$ bj J. T. Ntwman] 

LONK RAM 

Tkis is a photograph of the largest sheep on record 



[Btrihsmsttd 



sheep. Later a large heavy 
sheep, with long wool and a 
massive body, was bred in 
the Midlands, and called 
the Leicester Long-wool. 
This sheep gives a great cut 
of wool, and much coarse 
mutton. The Cheviot Sheep, 
originally bred on the hills of 
that name, is now one of the 
mainstays of the Scotch moun- 
tain farmer. The Cheviots 
eat the grass on the high 
hillsides, while the BLACK- 
FACE!) Highland Sheep 
live on the heather higher 
up. The Suffolk. Oxford, 
Hampshire, and other 
" Down " sheep are larger 
breeds than the South Down. 
The RoMNEY Marsh Sheep 
are a heavy long-woolled 
breed. The EXMOORS are 

small heather-sheep like those of Wales, and the SOA and St. Kilda Sheep, which are often 

four-horned, the smallest of all. 

The maintenance of flocks is now almost an essential part of English agriculture on all 

chalk lands, which comprise a very large percentage of the southern counties. On the chalk 

downs the flocks are the great fertilisers of the soil. Every night the sheep are folded on 

the fields which are destined to produce corn in the following year. The manure so left on 

the soil ensures a good crop, with no expense for carting the fertiliser from the farmyard, as 

is the case with manure made by oxen kept in straw-yards. 

On the South Downs, Oxfordshire Downs or Chiltern Hills, Salisbury Plain, and the 

Berkshire Downs the farms have been mainly carried on by the aid of the flocks. Where 

these are no longer kept the land reverts to grass, and the growing of corn ceases. On the 

coarse, new-sown grasses cattle take the place of sheep, and an inferior style of farming, like 

the ranches of South America, replaces the 

careful and highly skilled agriculture of Old 

England. In the far north of Scotland cross- 
bred sheep are now reared and fed in winter 

on turnips, which will grow luxuriantly where 

the climate is too bleak and wet for wheat. 
Formerly cattle were the main source 

of wealth to the owners of Highland estates. 

The sheep was only introduced after the 

Highlands were subdued subsequently to 

the rebellion in 1745. It was found that 

the rough-coated heather-sheep throve on the 

wet and elevated hills. This led to their 

substitution for cattle, as wool was then dear. 

Sheep are now in their turn giving way to 

grouse and deer over much of the Central WELSH EWES 

Highlands, as the price of wool has fallen. a mall breed of bUl'sbeep 




\U*,kh*muU 



THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



231 




Fhtta *; E. Landf] 



lF.Alini 



FEMALE ANGORA GOAT 

The breed from %ubicb mohair is obtmned 



THE GOATS 

Though the dividing-line between 

the Sheep and Goats is very indistinct, 

some differences are of general appli- 
cation. The goats are distinguished 

by the unpleasant " hircine " odour of 

the males, and by beards on'^the chins 

of the same sex, by the absence of 

glands in the hind feet, which sheep 

possess, and by certain variations in 

the formation of the skull. The 

difference between the temperament 

of the sheep and goats is very curious 

and persistent, showing itself in a 

marked way, which affects their use 

in domestication to such a degree that 

the keeping of one or the other often 

marks the owners as possessors of 

different degrees of civilisation. Goats 

are restless, curious, adventurous, and 

so active that they cannot be kept 

in enclosed fields. For this reason 

they are not bred in any numbers in 

lands where agriculture is practised 

on modern principles ; they are too enterprising and too destructive. Consequently the goat is 

usually only seen in large flocks on mountain pastures and rocky, uncultivated ground, where 

the flocks are taken out to feed by the children. 

On the high alps, in Greece, on the Apennines, and in Palestine the goat is a valuable 

domestic animal. The milk, butter, and cheese, and also the 'flesh of the kids, are in great 

esteem. But wherever the land is enclosed, and high cultivation attempted, the goat is banished, 

and the more docile and controllable 
sheep takes its place. In Syria the 
goat is perhaps more docile and better 
understood as a dairy animal than 
elsewhere in the East. The flocks are 
driven into Damascus in the morning ; 
and instead of a milk-cart calling, the 
flock itself goes round the city, and 
particular goats are milked before the 
doors of regular customers. 

The European Goat is a very 
useful animal for providing milk to 
poor families in large towns. The 
following account of its present uses 
was recently published : ** The sheep, 
while preserving its hardy habits in 
some districts, as on Exmoor, in Wales, 
and the Highlands, adapts itself to 
richer food, and acquires the habits as 
well as the digestion of domestication. 
The goat remains, as in old days, the 




thmtm hj £. LAndt^l 



ANGORA RAM 



t^J.'inf 



Tbtit gocts were origtnally obtained from Turkey in Ada^ and exported to South 

Africa 



232 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



enemy of trees, inquisitive, omnivorous, pugnacious. It is unsuited for the settled life of the 
English farm. Rich pasture makes it ill, and a good clay soil, on which cattle grow fat, kills it 
But it is far from being disqualified for the service of some forms of modern civilisation by the 
survival of primitive habits. Though it cannot live comfortably in the smiling pastures of the 
low country, it is perfectly willing to exchange the rocks of the mountain for a stable-yard in 
town. Its love for stony places is amply satisfied by the granite pavement of a * mews,' and 
it has been ascertained that goats fed in stalls and allowed to wander in paved courts and yards 
live longer and enjoy better health than those tethered even on light pastures. In parts of 
New York the city goats are said to flourish on the paste-daubed paper of the advertisements, 
which they nibble from the hoardings. It is beyond doubt that these hardy creatures are 
exactly suited for living in large towns; an environment of bricks and mortar and paving- 
stones suits them. Their spirits rise 
r' * — ^ — ^ — ™i in proportion to what we should deem 

the depressing nature of their sur- 
roundings. They love to be tethered 
on a common, with scanty grass and 
a stock of furze-bushes to nibble. A 
deserted brick-field, with plenty of 
i "^^^^^Hl broken drain-tiles, rubbish-heaps, and 

I ^^^B^ \ ^^^^^^^^ weeds, pleases them still better. 

I J^^t^^ )i- ^ ^'^^^^^^^^■^ Almost any kind of food seems to 

L ^^^l^t^A^K^^^ ^f^^^V^^ ^"^^ them. Not even the pig has so 

P ^^^^pfcl^^^^^i - ^'^^^^^S^^ varied a diet as the goat; it consumes 

mW^m i Ji^HHra^ and converts into milk not only great 

quantities of garden stuff which would 
otherwise be wasted, but also, thanks 
to its love for eating twigs and shoots. 
It enjoys the prunings and loppings 
of bushes and trees. In the Mont 
d'Or district of France the goats are 
fed on oatmeal porridge. With this 
diet, and plenty of salt, the animals 
are scarcely ever ill, and never suffer 
from tuberculosis; they will often 
give ten times their own weight of 
milk in a year." 

The Kashmir shawls are made of 
the finest goats* hair. Most of this 
very soft hair is obtained from the' 
under-fur of goats kept in Tibet, and 
by the Kirghiz in Central Asia. Only 
a small quantity, averaging 3 ozs., is produced yearly by each animal. The wool is purchased 
by middlemen, and taken to Kashmir for manufacture. 

In India the goat reaches perhaps the highest point of domestication. The flocks are in 
charge of herd-boys, but the animals are so docile that they are regarded with no hostility 
by the cultivators of corn and cereals. Tame goats are also kept throughout Africa. The 
valuable Angora breed, from which ** mohair " is obtained, is now domesticated in South Africa 
and in Australia. In the former country it is a great commercial success. The animals were 
obtained with great difficulty, as the Turkish owners did not wish to sell their best-bred 
goats; but when once established at the Cape, it was found that they proved better producers 
of mohair than when in their native province of Angora. The " clip " from their descendants 
steadily improves. 




Phof fy E. Lmndtr^ 



iEMiimg 



BRITISH GOAT 

ji much-neglected breed in tkh country. Note the thape of this animal 



THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



233 




FEMALE TOGGENBURG GOAT 

Tkest goats are milk-goats par excellence ; tkey remain in profit for at least ten 
months in the year. Each goat produces on an a'ver age from no to 120 gallons of 
milk during the year 



WILD GOATS 

In the Caucasus, both east and 
west, in the Pyrenees, and on the 
South Spanish sierras three fine wild 
goats, with some features not unlike 
the burhal sheep, are found. They, 
are called TUR by the Caucasian 
mountaineers. The species found in 
the East Caucasus differs from that 
of the west of the range, and both 
from that of Spain. The East 
Caucasian Tur is a massive, heavy 
animal, all brown in colour (except on 
the fronts of the legs, which are 
blackish), and with horns springing 
from each side of the skull like half- 
circles. The males are 38 inches high 
at the shoulder. The short beard and 
tail are blackish, and there is no white 
on the coat. The West Caucasian 
Tur is much lighter in colour than 
that of the East Caucasus, and the 
horns point backwards, more likethose 
of the ibex, though set on the skull 
at a different angle. The Spanish 
Tur has the belly and inner sides of 
the legs white, and a blackish line 
along the flank, dividing the white 
from the brown ; also a blackish chest, 
and some grey on the flank. 

In the Caucasus the tur are 
found on the high crags above the 
snow-line in summer, whence they 
descend at night to feed on patches 
of upland grass ; but the main home 
of the tur by day is above the snow- 
line. The Spanish species modifies its 
habits according to the ground on 
which it lives. Mr. E. N. Buxton 
found it in dense scrub, while on the 
Andalusian sierras it frequents bare 
peaks 10,000 feet high. In Spain 
tur are sometimes seen in flocks of , . * .*. ^^ 

from 100 to 150 each. _ 

stud toggenburg goat 

The Persian Wild Goat 

The original of our domesticated 
goat is thought by some to be the 
Pasang, or Persian Wild Goat. It is a fine animal, with large scimitar-shaped horns, curving 
backwards, flattened laterally, and with knobs on the front edge at irregular intervals. It is 
more slender in build than the tur, light brown in general colour, marked with a black line 
30 




This breed originally came from Switverland, hut is now well known im 
England, The animals are fine in hone, havt a long, thin neck, with two tasuU 
like appendages 



234 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



along the nape and back, black tail, white belly, blackish shoulder-stripe, and a black line 
dividing the hinder part of the flank from the white belly. Formerly found in the islands of 
South-eastern Europe, it now inhabits parts of the Caucasus, the Armenian Highlands, Mount 
Ararat, and the Persian mountains as far east as Baluchistan. A smaller race is found in Sind. 
It lives in herds, sometimes of considerable size, and frequents not only the high ground, but 
the mountain forests and scrub, where such cover exists. The domesticated goat of Sweden is 
said to be certainly a descendant of this species. 

The Ibex 

Of the Ibex, perhaps the best known of all the wild goats, several species, differing 
somewhat in size and in the form of their horns, are found in various parts of the Old World. 
Of these, the ARABIAN Ibex inhabits the mountains of Southern Arabia, Palestine, and Sinai, 




Bf f^rmltrhm %f P, Tf^mai^ Erf. 



SCHWARTZALS GOAT 



jii iargCf hng'kaired breeds whtck deri^tts in name from in peculiar colour ^ the fore part of tkt body being black and tke binder part wbit$» 

Then goan are good milkers 

Upper Egypt, and perhaps Morocco. The ABYSSINIAN iBEX is found in the high mountains of 
the country from which it takes its name. The ALPINE iBEX is now extinct in the Swiss 
Alps and Tyrol, but survives on the Piedmontese side of Monte Rosa. The Asiatic Ibex is 
the finest of the group ; its horns have been found to measure 54f inches along the curve. 
This ibex inhabits the mountain-ranges of Central Asia, from the Altai to the Himalaya, and 
the Himalaya as far as the source of the Ganges. 

The King of Italy is the great preserver of the Alpine Ibex, and has succeeded where 
the nobles of the Tyrol have failed. The animals are shot by driving them, the drivers being 
expert mountaineers. The way in which the ibex come down the passes and over the precipices 
is simply astonishing. One writer lately saw them springing down perpendicular heights of 
40 feet, or descending '* chimneys " in the mountain-face by simply cannoning off with their 
feet from side to side. Young ibex can be tamed with ease, the only drawback to their 
maintenance being the impossibility of confining theai. They will spring on to the roof of 



THE SHEEP AND GOATS 



235 



a house, and spend the day there by prefer- 
ence, though allowed the run of all the premises. 
The kids are generally two in number ; they 
are born in June. 

The ibex was long one of the chief 
objects of the Alpine hunter. The Emperor 
Maximilian had a preserve of them in the 
Tyrol mountains near the Aachen Sea; these 
he shot with a cross-bow when they were 
driven down the mountains. Sometimes they 
were forced across the lake. A picture in 
his private hunting-book shows the Emperor 
assisting to catch one in a net from a boat 
He notes that he once shot an ibex at a 
distance of 200 yards with a cross-bow, after 
one of his companions had missed it with a 
gun, or ** fire-tube.'* When away on an ex- 
pedition in Holland, he wrote a letter to the 
wife of one of the most noted ibex-poachers 
on his domain, promising her a silk dress if 
she could induce her husband to let the 
animals alone. In the Himalaya the chief 
foes of the ibex are the snow-leopard and 
wild dog. 

The Markhor 

The very fine Himalayan goat of this 
name differs from all other wild species. The 
horns are spiral, like those of the kudu 





Fh9f by S. G, P*jnt^ Ajlttbury^ bj ftrminUn •/ tht Mmb^ ff^alttr 
Rtfuchild 

YOUNG MALE ALPINE IBEX 
Tbt pbotograpb shows the corrugated borns of the maU 



MALE ALPINE IBEX 

The finest wild goat of Europe^ formerly common on the Swiss Alps^ 
now only on a limited area on the Italian side 

antelope and Wallachian sheep. It may well 
be called the king of the wild goats. A 
buck stands as much as 41 inches at the 
shoulder, and the maximum measurement of 
the horns is 63 inches, or over 5 feet! It 
has a long beard and mane, and stands very 
upright on its feet. Besides the Himalaya, 
it haunts the mountams on the Afghan 
frontier. The markhor keep along the line 
between the forest and snow, some of the 
most difficult ground in the hills. The horns 
are a much-prized trophy. 

The Tahr 

The Tahr of the Himalaya is a very 
different-looking animal to the true goats, 
from which, among other characters, it is 
distinguished by the form and small size 



236 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



of the horns. The horns, which are 
black, spring in a high backward 
arch, but ibe creature has no beard. 
A buck stands sometimes as much as 
38 inches high at the shoulder. It 
has a long, rough coat, mainly dark 
stone colour in tint. 

Tahr live in the forest districts 

of the Middle Himalaya, where they 

are found on very high and difficult 

^ ^ ^^ ,,^^ ^^ ground. General Donald Macintyre 

^H^ ^H ""fk^^^* W W ^^a^fc^g^. shot one standing on the brink of 

! , _, ^^ ^aA^ .^^. an almost sheer precipice. Down this 

it fell, and the distance in sheer 
depth was such that it was difficult 
to see the body even with glasses. 
The tahr is fairly common all along 
the higher Himalayan Range. Its 
bones are believed to be a sovereign 
cure for rheumatism, and are exported 

to India for that object. A smaller kind is found in the mountains of Eastern Arabia, where 

very few, even sportsmen, have yet attempted to shoot them. 




Bj ftrmitthn •/ P. 77i*«i4M, Eiq. 

NUBIAN GOAT 

These goats come from Nubia and Upper Egypt. They are generally horniest 
and short'haired f the colour varies, being sometimes black, and sometimes tan and 
spotted. 



The Nilgiri Tahr, or Nilgiri Ibex 

Though not an ibex, the sportsmen of India early gave this name to the tahr of the 
Nilgiri and Anamalai Hills. The Himalayan species is covered with long, shaggy hair; the 
South Indian has short, smooth brown hair. 

"The ibex," says Hawkeye, the Indian sportsman, of this animal, "is massively formed, 
with short legs, remarkably strong fetlocks, and a heavy carcase, short and well ribbed up, 
combining strength and agility wonderful to behold. Its habits are gregarious, and the does 
are seldom met with separate from the flock or herd, though males often are. The latter 
assume, as they grow old, a distinctive appearance. The hair on the back becomes lighter, 
almost white in some cases, causing a kind of saddle to appear; and from that time they 
become known to the shikaries as the saddle-backs of the herd, an object of ambition to 
the eyes of the true sportsman. It is a pleasant sight to watch a herd of ibex feeding 
undisturbed, the kids frisking here and there on pinnacles or ledges of rock and beetling 
cliffs where there seems scarcely safe hold for anything much larger than a grasshopper, the 
old mother looking calmly on. Then again, see the caution observed in taking up their 
resting or abiding-places for the day, where they may be warmed by the sun. listening to 
the war of many waters, chewing the cud of contentment, and giving themselves up to the 
full enjoyment of their nomadic life and its romantic haunts. Usually, before reposing, one 
of their number, generally an old doe, may be observed gazing intently below, apparently 
scanning every spot in the range of her vision, sometimes for half an hour or more, 
before she is satisfied that all is well, but, strange to say, seldom or never looking up to 
the rocks above. Then, being satisfied on the one side, she follows the same process on the 
other, and eventually lies down calmly, contented with the precautions ^he has taken. 
Should the sentinel be joined by another, or her kid come and lie by her, they always lie 
back to back, in such a manner as to keep a good look-out to either side. A solitary 
male goes through all this by himself, and wonderfully careful he is; but when with 
the herd he reposes in security, leaving it to the female to take precautions for their 
joint safety." 







Fh»t$ bj Frattlli jtlinari] 



ITALIAN GOAT 
From the earlust Roman Jays these goats have been the main form of livestock kept by the mountaineers of the Apennimti 

'37 



[Fl»renet 



238 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



r 




Rocky Mountain Goat 
America possesses only one species of wild 
goat, the place of this genus being taken in the 
southern part of the continent by the camel-like 
guanacos. The Rocky Mountain Goat, the North 
American representative of the group, is a some- 
what anomalous creature. It has very few of the 
characteristics of the European and Asiatic species. 
In place of being active in body and vivacious 
in temperament, it is a quiet, lethargic creature, 
able, it is true, to scale the high mountains of the 
North-west and to live among the snows, but with 
none of the energetic habits of the ibex or the 
tahr. In form it is heavy and badly built. It is 
heavy in front and weak behind, like a bison. The 
eye is small, the head large, and the shoulders 
humped. It feeds usually on very high ground ; 
but hunters who take the trouble to ascend to these 
altitudes find little difficulty in killing as many wild 
goats as they wish. These goats are most numerous 
in the ranges of British Columbia, where they are 
found in small flocks of from three or four to 
twenty. Several may be killed before the herd is 
thoroughly alarmed, possibly because at the high 
altitudes at which they are found man has seldom 
disturbed them. None of the domesticated sheep 
or goats of the New World are indigenous to the 
continent of America. It is a curious fact, well 
worth studying from the point of view of the history 
of man, that, with the exception of the llama, the 

dog, and perhaps the guinea-pig, every domesticated animal in use from Cape Horn to the 

Arctic Ocean has been imported. The last of these importations is the reindeer, which, though 

the native species abounds in the Canadian woods, was obtained from Lapland and Eastern Asia. 
The history of this effort at acclimatisation is curious, and maybe quoted in this connection. 

When the first rush to Klondike was made, the miners were imprisoned and inaccessible during 

the late winter. The coming of spring was the earliest period at which communication could 

be expected to be restored, and even then 

the problem of feeding the transport animals 

was a difficult one. The United States 

Government decided to try to open up a 

road from Alaska by means of sledges drawn 

by reindeer, and the Canadian Government 

devised a similar scheme. Agents were sent 

to Lapland and to the tribes on the western 

side of Bering Sea, and deer, drivers, and 

harness obtained from both. The deer 

were not used for the Klondike relief ex- 
peditions by the Americans ; but the animals 

and their drivers were kept in Alaska, native 

reindeer were caught, and the latest news of 

the experiment is that the deer were found 

very useful for carrying the mails in winter. 



PfMt$ bf Mils E. 7. Btth 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT 

Tbit is one of the fciv animals ivbicb are vfbite at all 
seasons of tbe yesr, Tbe boms and boofs are jet'black^ 
forming a striking contrast to tbe beautiful coat 



n 




Ph9t* by Mis$ E. J. Btck 

HIMALAYAN TAHR AND YOUNG 

Tbe typical representative of tbe sbcrt'borned wild goati 



CHAPTER XV 



THE ANTELOPES 



BY P. C. SELOUS 



THE True Antelopes (including the Gazelles) are 
strictly confined to the Old World, the Prongbuck 
of North America differing so much from all other 
living ruminants, in its horn growth and other particulars, 
that it is considered to be the sole representative of a distinct 
family. 

The Hartebeests 

With the exception of one species — the Bubal — which is 
found both in North Africa and Arabia, the Hartebeests are 
entirely confined to the African Continent. They are animals 
of large size, standing from 43 to 48 inches at the shoulder, 
and are characterised by their long, narrow faces, high withers, 
and doubly curved horns, which are present in both sexes. 
Nine different species of this group are known to exist. 

Although the ranges of these various species of harte- 
beest cover the greater part of the African Continent, it is 
noteworthy that each species keeps to its own ground, their 
several ranges but rarely overlapping. 

All the hartebeests have a strong family resemblance, 
and are very similar in their habits. They are never found 
either in dense forests or in swampy or mountainous country, 
but are inhabitants of the arid deserts of Northern and 
South-western Africa, and of the open grassy plains and 
thinly forested regions of the high plateaux of the interior 
of that continent. They are extraordinarily fleet and enduring, 
and in my own experience I have never heard of one of 
these animals, of whatever species, having been overtaken or 
ridden to a standstill by a man on horseback. They are very inquisitive, and where they 
have' not been molested will allow any unaccustomed object — such as a European in clothes — 
to walk to within easy shot of them before running off. They soon gain experience, however; 
and in countries where they have been most persecuted hartebeests are the keenest-sighted 
and the most wary of all African game. They are very fond of climbing to the top of the 
large ant-heaps with which the plains of Africa are profusely studded, and from this point of 
vantage surveying the surrounding country. They live, I believe, entirely upon grass, and 
in the desert areas of their range seem able to subsist for long periods without drinking 
water. Their meat I have always thought very palatable. They are generally in fairly good 
condition, though they seldom carry much fat. Their fat, after being melted, becomes solid 
again immediately on cooling, and clogs on the teeth whilst being eaten. But very few African 
species, except the eland, ever become really fat; their life is too active, and the food-supply 
too uncertain, for them to put on flesh like European deer. 

239 




Ph^» fy Mitt £. 7. Btct 

bubaline hartebeest 

ji imail tpteieSf found in Syria at tui/I at in 
North Africa 



240 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 







Fh9t$ by Ftrtj A%htndtn\ 



icMf. r.. 



BLESBOK 



jt sfcciet formerly 'very numerous in South Africa^ but now well'mgh 
exterminated 



BONTEBOK AND BlESBOK GROUP 

Nearly allied to the hartebeests are 
certain other antelopes of which it will be 
sufficient to mention but two species — viz. 
the Bontebok and the BlesboK- These 
two antelopes, though doubtless distinct, 
since their points of difference are constant 
and unvarying, are nevertheless so much 
alike, and evidently so closely allied, that I 
look upon the former as a highly coloured 
and specialised race of the latter. The bles- 
bok once had a far wider range than the 
bontebok, and ran in countless herds on 
the plains of the northern districts of the 
Cape Colony, the Orange River Colony, the 
Transvaal, Griqualand West, and British 
Bechuanaland, whilst the latter animal has 
always been confined to the sandy wastes 
in the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, the 
extreme southern point of Africa. 

I think it, however, not improbable 
that ages ago the blesbok ranged right 
through Cape Colony to the sea-shore, and 
that subsequently the gradual desiccation 

of the south-western portions of the country — which is still continuing — or several years of 

continuous drought, caused the withdrawal of the species northwards from the waterless parts 

of the country. Those, however, which had reached the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, where 

there is plenty of water, would have remained behind and formed an isolated race, which, being 

influenced by local conditions, would naturally in course of time have become differentiated 

from the parent stock. Be this as it may, the bontebok of to-day is nothing but a glorified 

blesbok, being slightly larger and 

more richly coloured than the 

latter animal. Its horns, too, are 

always black, whilst those of the 

blesbok are of a greenish hue. 

When they are in good condition, 

the coats of both these species 

of antelope, as well as of the 

Sassaby, another member of this 

group, show a beautiful satiny 

sheen, which plays over their 

purple-brown hides like shadows 

on sunlit water. 

The few bonteboks which still 

survive are now all preserved on 

large enclosed farms ; but their 

numbers are very small — less 

than 300, it is believed. The 

farmers of Dutch descent now do 

their best to preserve rare species 

on their land. 




Ph^f bj 7. W McUlUfC\ 



imghkufj 



WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF 

Thii " JVildebeeit ** is believed to be poetically exterminated at a wild ammal 



THE ANTELOPES 



241 




A COW BRINDLED GNU 

This gnUf which is still found in great numbers in East Central Africa^ indulges in the same curious antics as the white-taled species 

The Gnus 

These remarkable animals were once distributed throughout the greater part of Africa from 
the Cape to Abyssinia, and their r^nge is even now very extensive, though what was once the 
most numerous and the most eccentric-looking species of the group has almost ceased to exist. 
. The gnus are of large size, and at first sight appear to have the head of a buffalo, the 
tail of a horse, and the limbs and hoofs of an antelope. Their heads are very massive, with 
broad muzzles and widely separated, hairy nostrils; their necks are maned, tails long and 
bushy, and both sexes carry horns. They are known as " wilde beeste," or " wild cattle," to 
the Dutch colonists of South Africa. 

The White-tailed Gnu, or Black 
Wildebeest, as it is more commonly called, 
was once found in great numbers on the kar- 
roos of Northern Cape Colony, and through- 
out the vast plains of the Orange River 
Colony, Transvaal, Griqualand West, and 
British Bechuanaland. Its range, in fact, 
was coequal with that of the blesbok. Even 
as lately as in 1875 and 1876 I personally 
saw very considerable herds of these quaint 
animals in the Orange River Colony and the 
Western Transvaal. When the present war 




broke out in 1899, there were only two 
herds of black wildebeest left alive. These 
animals numbered some 500 head altogether, 
and were protected by Dutch farmers. There 
31 



Ph»f fy Mitt £. 7. BstA 

RED-FLANKED DUIKER 

The duikers are for the most part diminutive and graceful antelopes, with 
simple^ spike-likt horns 



242 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



are probably very few of them left to-day, and it is scarcely possible that this most interesting 
animal will long escape complete extinction. 

Black wildebeests, before they had been much persecuted, were so inquisitive that, in the 
words of Gordon Gumming, they would " caper and gambol " round a hunter's waggon or any 
other unusual object, and sometimes approach to within a couple of hundred yards, when, 
whisking their long white tails, they would gallop off with loud snorts. They were always, 
however, very keen-sighted, and soon became extremely wary and almost impossible to approach 
on foot in the open plains they frequented, whilst their powers of endurance and fleetness of 
foot were such that they could only be overtaken by a well-mounted hunter. In spite of 
these advantages, however, the value of their skins, and the ever-increasing number of hunters, 
armed with long-range rifles, practically brought about the extermination of this species of gnu 
in a few decades. 

The Brindled Gnu is a larger animal than the last-named species, standing 4J feet and 
upwards at the shoulder. This animal once ranged from the Vaal River northwards, throughout 
Eastern and Gentral Africa, to the north of Kilimanjaro, where its range overlaps that of 
a closely allied form, the VVhite-BEARDED Gnu, which is only found in certain districts of 
Eastern Africa. In general habits these two varieties seem to be identical. 

In the interior of Southern Africa, both north 

and south of the Zambesi, I have met with very 

large numbers of BLUE Wildebeests. They usually 
, run in herds of from ten to twenty individuals, but 

towards the end of the dry season collect in droves of 
200 or 300. They are often found in company with 
zebras and sassaby antelopes. Their flesh resembles 
coarse beef, and, to my thinking, is not ill-flavoured. 




tnttt bj Miss 4k. 7. Bttk 



KLIPSPRINGER 

Tk$ •* cliff'jum^r ** it at activi in itt Aakitt at a cJUnmois^ 
smd it found in most of tht mountMn-ranget -rf Africa 



The Smaller Bucks 

In addition to the great number of antelopes 
of large size which inhabit the African Continent^ 
there are also very many small species, the life 
history and habits of some of which are as yet 
but imperfectly known, since they are denizens of 
dense forests, and feed principally at night. 

All these small African antelopes are divided into 
two sub-families. The first comprises the African 
Duikers and the Indian FouR-HORNED Antelope, 
and the second the DiK-DiKS, Oribis, Klipspringer» 
and certain other small bush-antelopes. 

The African duikers are distributed throughout 
Africa south of the Sahara, and are represented 
by some twenty different species, the largest of 
which approaches a small donkey in size, whilst the 
smallest is not much larger than a hare. 

The majority of these dainty little antelopes 
are inhabitants of the dense tangled forests of the 
coast-belts of Africa, and are therefore but seldom 
seen by travellers and sportsmen. One species of 
the group, however, the Common Duiker of South 
Africa, is a very well-known animal. This little 
antelope inhabits much more open country than 
most of its congeners, and has an enormous range, 
extending from Cape Agulhas to Somaliland, whilst 




PKac h G. IV. IVih»n V C«., Ltd A 

SING-SING WATERBUCK 

Tkt ungating and us rtUava (&ffir from tkt true water huck by tht abunu of the wAiu tllifdcal rit^ on the rump 



244 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




thM fy IV, P. Dand»\ 

MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK 

One of a group of tmall antelopes still common in many parts of Africa 



two very nearly allied forms are found 
in Senegal and Abyssinia respectively. 

In most species of duikers both 
sexes are horned, but in the case of 
the common duiker it is very excep- 
tional to find a female with horns, 
and in all my experience I have only 
known of three such cases. 

The Four-horned Antelope is 
the Indian representative of tlie African 
duikers, and is found along the foot 
of the Himalaya from the Punjab to 
Nepal, and in suitable localities through- 
out the peninsula of India. It frequents 
wooded hills, but avoids dense jungle. 
Like its nearest allies, the duikers, it 
is solitary in its habits, more than 
two of these antelopes seldom being 
seen together. The growth of four 
horns on the skull of this antelope and 
on certain breeds of domesticated sheep is a curious fact which has not roused as much comment 

as it deserves. _, __ 

The Klipspringer 

Turning to the second sub-family, we may select the Klipspringer as the most characteristic 
species to describe. This beautiful little animal, which is often called the African Chamois, is 
found in suitable localities from the Cape to Abyssinia. In the southern and northern portions 
of its range the klipspringer is an inhabitant only of rugged mountain-ranges, and ascends 
to a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet above sea-level. In the more central regions of its 
habitat, however, although it always lives amongst rocks, and thoroughly justifies its name 
of " rock-jumper," it is often found in regions where there are no high mountain-ranges. It 
used to be very common in Matabililand^ both in the Matopo Hills and on the isolated 
granite kopjes which are so numerous 
in that country, and usually arc 
not more than 200 or 300 feet in 
\ieight. In Mashonaland I have 
found it Kving amongst granite rocks 
in the beds of the larger rivers, and 
actually on the same level as the 
surrounding country; whereas on 
Wedza, a great mountain-mass of 
slate and ironstone, which rises to 
a height of about 2,000 feet above 
the surrounding country, and to the 
top of which I once climbed, I did 
not see any klipspringers. The hoofs 
of this little animal are curiously 
different from those of any other 
African antelope, being remarkably 
short and small, with very deep „, . . , . 

; . Ph.f h; S. G. Paynt, jtfltsbur^^ hr ^trminhm •/ tht h»H. If^Mtttr R»thsttHtd 

hollows. This adaptation to its re- », a » r. tw«a r a ^« ,. * ^ , . 

,, ^i. 1 ,. MALE IMPALA, OR PALLA 

quirements enables the klipspringer 

to obtain a foothold on any small tb, tuu^fullj ^r^i h^„,f ,b. n^u f^ ,^, .f .b, ^u p^f^ 4 




THE ANTELOPES 



245 



projecting piece of rock, and to climb in a series of little jumps up the faces of cliffs which 
seem almost perpendicular. 

In height the klipspringer stands about I foot 9 inches at the shoulder. The males alone 
carry horns, which are straight and ringed at the base, and vary from 3 to 5 inches in 
length. The coat is of a greeny yellow-brown colour, with the hairs hollow and brittle. These 
little animals are usually met with singly, or in twos and threes together. When caught 
young, they become wonderfully tame, and make the most charming pets, being very playful 
and fond of jumping, with surprising ease and grace, from the floor of a room on to any 
elevated position, such as a table, mantelpiece, or window-sill. 

The Waterbucks 

The largest animals in the first of three groups now to be considered are the WATERBUCKS, 
antelopes of stout and sturdy build, standing from 45 to 50 inches at the shoulder, and covered 
with long, coarse hair, especially on the neck, in both sexes. The males alone carry horns, 
which vary from 20 to 36 inches in length, and are strongly ringed in front for three-fourths 
of their length. They are sublyrate in shape, being first inclined backwards and then forwards 
at the tips. There are three well-marked species of waterbuck — viz. the COMMON Waterbuck 
of South Africa, whose range 
extends from the Limpopo 
northwards, through Nyasa- 
land to German and British 
East Africa, and to the 
Shebeyli River, in Somali- 
land ; the Sing-sing of Sene- 
gal and Gambia; and the 
Defassa Waterbuck of 
Western Abyssinia and the 
Nile Valley, south to Uganda 
and British and German East 
Africa. In habits all species 
of watertuck arc very similar. 
They live generally, though 
not invariably, in herds of 
from ten to twenty individ- 
uals, and in such small herds 

there is seldom more than one full-grown male present. In the interior of South Africa the 
waterbuck is often met with amongst steep stony hills and at a distance of more than a mile from 
the nearest river. Speaking generally, however, this antelope may be said to frequent the near 
neighbourhood of water, but to prefer dry to swampy ground. When chased by dogs it always 
makes for water, and will plunge fearlessly into broad, deep rivers, regardless of crocodiles, to 
which ravenous reptiles it sometimes falls a victim. In South Africa waterbuck vary much in 
colour even in the same district, some being reddish brown, whilst others are of a very dark 
grey. The flesh of the waterbuck is coarse, and sometimes rather strongly tasted, and when 
in good condition the fat is very hard. 

The Reedbucks are similar in essential characters to the waterbucks, but are of 
smaller size, and have more bushy tails, and naked spots on the sides of the head beneath 
the ears. 

Of this group the COMMON Reedbuck of South Africa is the best known. This animal 
stands 3 feet at the withers, and is of a soft greyish fawn-colour, with a large fluffy tail, which 
'S always thrown up when the animal runs, exposing the white under-surface. The males alone 
carry horns, which curve backwards and then forwards, and attain a length of from 12 to 16 
inches. Reedbucks are met with singly or in twos and threes, and never congregate in herds, 




Fh»f fy S. G. Fajnt^ AjUtbury^ ty firmiithn •f tht H»n. ff^alttr Rtthtchild 

MALE SAIGA ANTELOPES 

Then antelofet inhabit tke East Ruuian ueppet. The thick ivooUy coat turm marly white in 

winter 



246 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



though I have seen as many as eight, belonging probably to three or four families, feeding in 
close proximity to one another on young green grass. 

Another member of the reedbuck group is the Rooi Rhebuck of South Africa. This 
latter species, though a much smaller animal, is very similar to the common reedbuck in 
colour, shape, and general appearance ; it is quite distinct in its habits and niode of life, as it 
lives in small herds of from four or five to fifteen head, amongst rugged stony hills, often far 
from water. 

The Blackbuck of India 

This handsome species is found throughout India wherever there are open cultivated 
plains. The male stands about 32 inches at the shoulder, and when full grown is of ? 
glossy black colour, with the exception of a chestnut-coloured patch at the back of the neck, 
and some markings of the same colour about the face. The belly and insides of the limbs 
are pure white, the line between the black and white being very clearly defined. The whole 
body and frame are very compact, strong, and beautifully proportioned, and the head is carried 
high. The males alone 
in shape, annulated almost to 
from 18 to 28 inches. Young 
coloured instead of black, 
met with in considerable 
cultivated tracts alternate with 
much damage to the natives' 
first execute a series of pro- 
before finally settling down to 
prisingly fleet, and can seldom 
greyhounds, although they 
down without difficulty by 
are often called, hunting- 

The Palla, which is 
Eastern Africa from Bechuana- 
the most graceful of animals, 
and is never found far from 
general bright reddish brown, 
alone carry horns, which are 
vary from 14 to upwards of 
finest specimens of the palla 
southerly and most northerly 
animals inhabiting the inter- 
and carrying shorter horns, 
in herds of from twenty to 
alarmed, they bound over 



carry horns, which are spiral 
the tips, and vary in length 
bucks and does are fawn- 
These antelopes are usually 
herds on open plains in which 
waste land, and they often do 
crops. When alarmed, they 
digious bounds into the air 
a steady run. They are sur- 
be overtaken by the fastest 
can be caught and pulled 
trained cheetas, or, as they 
leopards. 

found in Southern and 
land to Kordofan, is one of 
It is a forest-loving species, 
water. Both sexes are of a 
with white bellies. The males 
very graceful in shape, and 
20 inches in length. The 
are met with in the extreme 
portions of its range, the 
mediate districts being smaller 
Pallas are gregarious, living 
over one hundred. When 
bushes or any other obstacles 
with the utmost ease and grace, and appear to get over the ground at a high rate of speed. 
They are, however, very commonly run down and torn to pieces by wild dogs, which hunt in 
packs, and are very destructive to African game. 

Of far less graceful appearance than the two preceding species is the Saiga, which, 
though structurally closely allied to the gazelles, has been placed by naturalists in a genus 
by itself. 

This curious-looking animal, which is chiefly remarkable for its large swollen-looking nose 
and light-coloured horns, is an inhabitant of the steppes of the South-eastern Europe and 
Western Asia. In height it stands about 30 inches at the withers, and is of a dull yellowish 
colour in summer, turning to nearly white in winter. The males alone carry horns, which are 
sometimes 13 or 14 inches long, and of a peculiar colour which has been likened to pale amber, 




Ph»f fy Miss B, 7, B0c» 

ARABIAN GAZELLE 

GasulUs are some of the most slenderly 
built of all antelopes 



THE ANTELOPES 



247 



At the present day the saiga is only found in Europe on the plains between the Don 
and the Volga, but to the east of the Ural River its range extends over the Kirghiz Steppes 
and the high plains of all Western Siberia. Living in open country, and having the senses of 
hearing, sight, and scent all highly developed, the saiga is a difficult animal to approach, and 
can only be successfully stalked by an expert hunter. In summer it is usually met with in 
small, scattered bands, which, when driven southwards by snow and cold, are collected into 
considerable herds in the more southerly portions of its range. In very severe winters whole 
herds have been known to perish in snow-drifts, and in such inclement seasons large numbers 
are also killed by the natives. The flesh of the saiga is said to resemble mutton, and is held 
in much esteem. 

The Gazelles 

We now come to the Gazelles, among which are comprised many of the best known 
and most beautiful of the small or medium-sized antelopes. In the true gazelles both sexes 
generally carry horns. Indeed, this rule is universal in those of Africa and Arabia; and there 




GOITRED GAZELLES FROM MESOPOTAMIA 

TAese animals are inhabitants of rocky and desert ground. They are often kept tame by the wandering Arabs 



\fiAmbur^ 



are only four species known — all Asiatic — in which the females are hornless : viz, the Tibet AN 
Gazelle, Prejevalski's Gazelle, the Mongolian Gazelle, and the Persian Gazelle. 

The range of the various species belonging to this large group is very extensive, comprising 
the whole of Northern and Eastern Africa, Arabia, and Western and Central Asia, as well as 
Mongolia and India. The gazelles are inhabitants of the open plains and arid desert regions 
of the Old World, and, although sometimes met with in tracts of country where there is a 
certain amount of scattered bush or open stunted forest, are never found in any kind of jungle 
or thick cover. 

On the sandy plains of North-western Africa are found the Red-FRONTED Gazelle of 
Senegal and Gambia; the little-known Mhqrr Gazelle of South-western Morocco; and the 
Dama Gazelle, a species which has been known to naturalists ever since the time of Buffon. 
A near ally of the last-named animal is the Red-NECKED Gazelle of Dongola and Senaar. In 
North-eastern Africa are found the large and handsome SoEMMERRlNG's Gazelle ; the Isabella 
Gazelle, of the coastlands of the Red Sea ; Heuglin's Gazelle ; Pelzeln's Gazelle, of the 
maritime plains of Northern Somaliland; and Speke's GAZELLE, of the interior of the same 
country; whilst farthe*- south the group is represented by the large and beautiful GRANT'S 



248 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




P)uf by L. Mtdtmnd, F.Z.S.] 



[Ntrih FincMtj 



SPEKE'S GAZELLE 

Found in tki interior of Northern Somaliland 



Gazellb, with its allies Peters's 
Gazelle and Thomson's Gazelle. 
The well-known Dorcas Gazelle is 
an inhabitant of Morocco and Algeria, 
ranging through Egypt into Palestine 
and Syria ; the Marica GAZELLE, the 
Muscat Gazelle, and the Arabian 
Gazelle inhabit the deserts of Arabia ; 
the Edmi Gazelle is found in the 
mountain-ranges of Morocco, Algeria^ 
and Tunis; while LoDER's Gazelle 
inhabits the sandy tracts of the interior 
of Algeria and Tunis. In Asia, besides 
the four species of gazelle already 
enumerated in which the females are 
hornless, one other member of the 
group is met with. This is the Indian 
Gazelle, a species very closely allied 
to the Arabian form. 



Of the whole genus Grant's Gazelle is the most beautiful. This handsome animal, which 
was first discovered by the explorers Speke and Grant in i860, is an inhabitant of Eastern 
Africa, from the neighbourhood of Lake Rudolph southwards to Ugogo. In size the average 
height at the shoulder of males of this species is about 34 inches. The coat is close and 
short and of a general fawn colour, the rump and belly pure white, and the face marked with 
a rufoiis band from the horns to the nose and with streaks of white on each side. The upper 
surface of the tail is white, with a black and tufted tip. The horns, which are very elegant 
in shape, being first curved slightly forwards and then backwards, are much longer and more 
powerful than in any other gazelle, and attain a length of 30 inches in the males and 17 inches 
in the females. 

Grant's gazelles, though they undoubtedly find their most congenial home in open 
country, have also been met with by recent travellers in bush-sprinkled wastes and stony^ 
rugged hills. They are, however, never found in dense jungles or high mountains. They live 
in herds of from half a dozen to twenty or thirty individuals, though in certain localities as 
many as 200 have been seen together. They 
are fond of consorting with other game, such as 
Burchell's and Grevy's zebras. Coke's hartebeest, 
and the beisa oryx, and are often met with at 
long distances from the nearest water. They 
are keen-sighted and wary, and from the open 
character of the country in which they are 
usually encountered are often difficult to stalk. 
When in good condition, the meat of this gazelle 
is said to be excellent. 

The nearest ally of the true gazelles is 
undoubtedly the SPRINGBUCK of South Africa. 
Owing to the protection which it has received 
of late years, this graceful antelope is now a 
common animal in many parts of South Africa, 
and in the north-western portions of the Cape ^^^ b m^ r d-^.] 
Colony still sometimes collects into prodigious 

herds, which travel through the country in dense GAZELLES FROM EGYPT 

mas$c3; destroying every vestige of grass on the &*» »* gr^t numbers in the Bayuda tkmt 




THE ANTELOPES 



249 




Phtt» bj W, ?. D-iii»] \R$itntU Park 

RED-FRONTED GAZELLE 

Inhabits Dongola and Senaar 



line of their ad vance^and causiAgconsiderable - 

anxiety to farmers, whose flocks of sheep 

and goats are sometimes swept away by the 

migrating springbucks. In former years the 

migration of these antelopes in countless 

thousands from the deserts of Namaqualand 

to the countries farther south was a common 

occurrence, an unerring instinct guiding the 

wandering herds to districts where rain had 

lately fallen and caused a new growth of 

green grass. The animals composing these 

migrating herds were called by the Dutch 

settlers of the Cape Colony " Trekbokken," 

or ** travelling-bucks." 

Two other antelopes* the DiBATAG and 

the Gerenuk, are included in the present 

group; but both, whilst typically gazelline 

in certain respects, differ so much in other 

ways from all members of that group that 

each has been placed in a separate genus. 
The DiBATAG is a very remarkable- 
looking antelope, only found in certain 

districts of Central Somaliland, where it was first discovered by Mr. T. W. H. Clarke in 1 890. 

This species shows the face-markings of the gazelles, whilst the horns, which are only present 

in the males, much resemble in shape those of a reedbuck. They are rather short, attaining 

a length of only 11 or 12 inches, and their basal halves are strongly ringed in front. 

The neck of this antelope is singularly long and thin, and the tail, which is held curved 

forwards over the back when the animal is in motion, is also much elongated, and only tufted 

at the tip. The dibatag frequents sandy ground sparsely covered with low thorn-bushes, 

and lives in small families, being usually met 
with in twos or threes, whilst it is rare 
to find nK)re than four or five consorting 
together. 

The Gerenuk, like the last-named animal, 
is an East African species, but has a more 
extended range, being found all over Somali- 
land, and thence southwards to the Tana 
Valley and the Kilimanjaro district of British 
East Africa. The most remarkable external 
characteristic of this species is the exces- 
sively long neck. The males alone carry 
horns, which attain an average length of 
12 or 13 inches, and, though somewhat 
gazelle-like in shape, are more strongly 
crooked forwards at the points. The skull 
of this species is more dense and solid in 
structure than in the true gazelles, and the 
cheek-teeth are smaller in size. 

Coming now to the Sable Antelope 
group, we find an assemblage of antelopes 
which are all of large size and handsome 
appearance, and in all of which both the 




Ph»f fy W. P, DMi«l 



[Reitnt^s Park 



RED-FRONTED GAZELLE 

Another view of the specimen thotvn above 



250 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




Fhtu fy Pirtj Athtnd€n\ 



[C«/« Tnon 



MALE SPRINGBUCK 



Cnce the most numerous species in South Africa^ tukere it is still not uncommon. Its migrations ^ or ** treks,** at certain seasons were out 

of the sights of the veldt 

males and females are horned. With the single exception of the Beatrix Oryx, which 
inhabits Arabia, all these antelopes are denizens of Africa. One species of the group, the 
Bluebuck, which appears to have been entirely confined to the mountainous districts of the 
Cape Peninsula, became extinct during the first decade of the last century. Little is known 
as to the life history of this animal, but it was undoubtedly nearly allied to the larger and 
more handsomely marked ROA>f ANTELOPE. This latter animal once had a more extensive 
range than any other antelope, as it was found in almost every part of Africa south of 
the Sahara, with the exception of the Congo forest region. It has now been exterminated 
in the more southerly portions of the country, but from the Limpopo to the Upper Nile, 
and thence to the Niger, it is still to be found wherever the surroundings are suitable to its 
requirements. 

A large bull roan antelope will stand 4 feet 9 inches at the withers. The general colour 
of the body differs in individuals, even in the same district, varying from a very light shade 
of brown to dark grey or red- roan. The front and sides of the face are jet-black in the adult 
male, and dark reddish brown in the female, with two long white tufts of hair under the 
eyes. The muzzle and extremity of the lower jaw are white. The hair on the under side of 
the neck is long and coarse, and a stiff mane about 3 inches in length runs from behind 
the ears to the withers. The ears are very long, and in the females and young males 
tufted. The horns are curved backwards, and in the male are very stout and strong, attaining 



THE ANTELOPES 



251 



a length of from 26 to 34 inches. In the female the horns are shorter and slighter, and 
not so strongly ringed. 

Roan antelope are usually met with in small herds of from six to a dozen members, and 
never congregate in large numbers. I do not think I have ever counted as many as thirty 
together. I have found them fairly common in certain districts, but nowhere very plentiful. 
They frequent open plains and thinly forested country, and are never found far away from water. 
Bucks often become savage when wounded, and will sometimes charge viciously if approached 
incautiously. They can use their horns with great dexterity, and play havoc with a pack of dogs. 

The Sable Antelope, though considerably smaller than the roan, is yet a handsomer 
animal. In colour the adult male, when in high condition, is jet*black all over with the 
exception of the white face-markings and the snow-white of the belly and insides of the 
thighs. The mane is longer and more bushy than in the roan antelope, and often hangs down 
on cither side over the withers. The horns, too, are much finer, and, sweeping backwards 
in a bold curve, are commonly upwards of 42 inches long, and have been known to reach 
50 inches. The striking colour, large size, and horns of this creature make it one of the 
most-prized trophies of the sportsman. The skin, when prepared and laid down as a rug 
in halls or dwelling-rooms, is far more handsome than that of any deer. The female of this 
species is usually of a rich 
red-brown in colour instead 
of black as in the male. 
South of the Zambesi, how- 
ever, old cows become almost 
absolutely black. North of 
the Zambesi both male and 
female sable antelopes are 
dark red in colour rather 
than black. The horns in 
the female are slighter and 
less curved than in the 
male, and are also consider- 
ably shorter, as a rule not 
measuring over 30 inches in 
length. 

The range of the sable 
antelope extends from the 
northern districts of the 
Transvaal to German East 
Africa. In the country be- 
tween the Limpopo and the 
Central Zambesi it used to 
be a very common animal, 
especially in the northern 
districts of Mashonaland. It 
is partial to open forests 
intersected by grassy, well- 
watered glades, and is never 
found on open plains entirely 
devoid of bush. It is usually 
met with in herds of from 
twelve to twenty individuals, 
but I have often seen as 
many as fifty, and once 




Fhtfbj S, G. Pajnty jljUibury, b; ^trmitsion tf tht Hon. ff^alter Ruhtchild 

SABLE ANTELOPE 

^ near ally of the Roan Antelope^ from vfhich it is broadly SstinguitJUd hy its striking colora- 
tion — black and white 



252 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




PIm* bf tht Dtuhtst tf Btdf»rd] 

ROAN ANTELOPE 

vfitA the SabU Antelope and the Oryx groups both uxet of this species carry 
home 



counted between seventy and 
eighty together. H owever large 
a herd of sable antelopes may 
be, it is very exceptional to find 
with it more than one fully 
adult male, from which fact I 
should judge that these animals 
are of a very jealous and 
pugnacious disposition. When 
wounded and brought to bay by 
dogs, a sable antelope defends 
itself with the utmost fury, using 
its long scimitar-shaped horns 
with most wonderful quick- 
ness and dexterity. If badly 
wounded it will lie down, other- 
wise it fights standing. Keeping 
its face to some of its foes, with 
a sideways twist of its head 
it will transfix and throw into 
the air any dog which attempts 
to attack it from behind. I 
have seen a wounded sable 
antelope, when lying down, 
drive one of its horns clean 
through a large dog deep into 
its own haunch, and I have 



had four valuable hounds 
killed and four others 
grievously wounded by one 
of these animals in less than 
a minute. I once knew a na- 
tive hunter who was stabbed 
through the kidneys and 
killed by asable antelope cow. 
The nearest allies of the 
sable and roan antelopes are 
the various species of the 
genus Oryx. In this group 
are included the White 
Oryx, which inhabits the des- 
ert regions of the interior of 
Northern Africa from Don- 
gola to Senegal ; the BEATRIX 
Oryx of Southern Arabia ; 
the Gemsbuck of South- 
western Africa; the Beisa, 
which is found in North-east 
Africa from Suakim south- 
wards to the river Tana ; and 
the Tufted Beisa, which is 




?*•!• bj Vwwsan 3 Smithy Esf.] 

MALE OF GRANT'S GAZELLE 
Thtsfine Bast African species is one of the handtewust of its Uwd 



THE ANTELOPES 



253 



very nearly related to the last-named species, whose place it takes soutli of the Tana River in 
certain districts of British and German East Africa. In general appearance there is a strong 
family resemblance between the different species of oryx. In all of them both sexes carry 
horns, which are considerably longer, though somewhat slighter, in the females than in the 
males. In the white oryx the horns are curved backwards ; but in the other four species they 
are straight, or nearly so. In all the faces are conspicuously banded with black and white, 
and the tails long, with large dark terminal brushes. The two most desert-loving species, the 
white and the Beatrix oryx, are paler in general body-colour than the other t^ree, and 
the latter animal is considerably smaller than any other member of the group, standing not 
more than 35 inches at the withers. The gemsbuck is the largest and undoubtedly the 
handsomest of the group, standing 4 feet at the shoulders; the horns of the females are 
often upwards of 40 inches long, and have been known to attain a length of 48 inches. 

In habits all species of oryx seem to be very similar. They are denizens of the arid sun- 
scorched plains of Africa, which are not necessarily devoid of all kind of vegetation, but are 
often covered with stunted bush, and carry a plentiful crop of coarse grass after rain. Oryx 
usually run in herds of 
from four or five to fifteen 
or twenty, though the 
beisa, the most abundant 
of the group, has been 
met with in troops 
numbering 400 or 500 
head. All the oryx are 
shy and wary, and in the 
open country they usually 
frequent are difficult to 
approach on foot. If 
pursued on horseback, 
they run at a steady 
gallop, which they can 
maintain for long 
distances, swinging their 
bushy black tails from 
side to side, and holding 
their heads in such a 
way that their long 
straight horns are only 

sloped slightly backwards. Fleet and enduring, however, as oryx undoubtedly are, I am of 
opinion that in these respects the gemsbuck of South Africa, at any rate, is inferior to all 
other large antelopes living in the same country, with the single exception of the eland. I 
have often, when mounted on a fast horse, galloped right up to herds of gemsbuck, and on 
two occasions have run antelopes of this species to an absolute standstill. Oryx of all 
species should be approached with caution when badly wounded, as they are liable to make 
short rushes, and can use their horns with great effect. 

Nearly related to the antelopes of the Oryx group in many essential characteristics, yet at 
once distinguishable by its spiral horns and broad reindeer-like feet, the desert-haunting Addax 
has been placed in a separate genus, of which it is the sole representative. 

This remarkable animal stands about 38 inches in height at the withers, and varies in 
general colour at different seasons of the year, from brownish grey to a reddish hue. The 
forehead is covered with a thick growth of bushy black hair, beneath which there is a patch 
of white extending across the nose to under the eyes. The hindquarters, tail, and legs 
are white. The horns are spiral, and are present in both sexes. In the male they attain 




GROUP OF BEISA ORYX 

Tkii wioti inttrudng photograph, taken by Lord Dilamtre, them agromp of thtufin* antilopts on th$ 

East jifrican plaitu 



254 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 




WHITE ORYX 

Found in Northern Africa from Dongola to Senegal 



a length of about 28 inches in 
a straight line, and about 36 
inches following the spiral. In 
the female they are thinner and 
less spirally curved. The addax 
is confined to the desert regions 
of Northern Africa from Dongola 
to Senegal, and the broad, rounded 
hoofs, so unlike those of any 
other antelope, would seem to 
show that it inhabits countries 
where the soil is deep, soft 
sand. 

Very little is known of the 
life history or habits of this 
antelope. It is said to associate 
in pairs or small herds, and to 
be entirely independent of water, 
though it travels great distances 
over the desert in the track of 
thunder-storms for the sake of 
the young herbage which grows 
so quickly wherever rain falls in 

those thirsty regions. It is killed in considerable numbers by the Arabs for the sake of 

its flesh and hide, and is either stalked or hunted on horseback, with the help of greyhounds, 

by Europeans. 

The last of the sub-families into which modern 

naturalists have divided the antelopes of the 

world comprises some of the handsomest species 

of the whole group, and includes the largest of 

all antelopes, the Eland, as well as such small 

and beautifully marked creatures as the Harnessed 

Bushbucks. 

With one exception — the Nilgai — all the 

members of this sub-family are denizens of the 

great African Continent. 

The Nilgai, or Blue Bull, is an inhabitant 

of India, and is found throughout the greater 

portion of the peninsula, from the base of the 

Himalaya to the south of Mysore. It is an animal 

of large size, standing about 4 feet 6 inches at the 

shoulder. In general colour the male is of a dark 

iron-grey, the female tawny fawn. White spots 

on the cheeks and just above the hoofs on the fore 

and hind feet are the outward signs of its affinity 

to the African harnessed antelopes. The male 

alone carries horns, which are nearly straight and 

very small for the size of the animal, rarely exceed- 
ing 9 inches in length. 

Passing now to the Harnessed Antelopes of 

Africa, our attention is first claimed by the BUSH- 
BUCKS. Excluding the Inyala and the Broad- 




BEISA ORYX 



{Rtttmi'i FMrh 



Tke beha it found in NortJk-east Africa ; by some it is believed 
to have suggested tke original idea of tke mmcorm 



THE ANTELOPES 



255 



homed Antelope, we find 
several forms of the smaller 
bushbucks recognised by 
naturalists : vis. the HAR- 
NESSED Antelope of the 
forest regions of Western 
Africa ; the Cape Bushbuck 
of South Africa ; CUMMIXG'S 
Bushbuck of Eastern Africa; 
and the Decula Bushbuck 
of Abyssinia. The various 
forms of bushbuck vary in 
general colour from very dark 
brown to various shades of 
grey-brown, yellow-brown, 
and rich red. In all species 
the young are more or less 
striped and spotted; but 
whereas in some forms the 
adultanimalslose theirstripes 
and spots, almost entirely, in 
others the adults are more 
richly marked than immature 
specimens. Formypart,Iam 
inclined to believe that, if 
large series of bushbuck-skins 
were collected from every 
district throughout Africa, it 
would be found that all the 
varieties of this animal at 
present accepted as distinct 
species would be found to 
grade into one another in 
such a way that only one true 
species could be recognised. 

The bushbucks vary in height at the shoulder from 28 inches to 33 inches, and only the 
males carry horns, which are nearly straight, with a close spiral twist, and measure in adult 
animals from 10 inches to 18 inches in length. 

Bushbucks are not found in open country, but live in forest or thick bush near the 
bank of a river, stream, or lake, and are never met with far from water. They are very 
partial to wooded ravines amongst broken, mountainous country, provided such districts are well 
watered; and are very solitary in their habits, both males and females being usually found 
alone, though the latter are often accompanied by a kid or half-grown animal. They are shy 
and retiring, and should be looked for between daylight and sunrise, or late in the evening, as 
they are very nocturnal in their habits, and lie concealed in long grass or thick bush during the 
heat of the day. Their call resembles the bark of a dog, and may often be heard at nights. 

The Broad-horned Antelope is only found in the forests of the West African coast range, 
from Liberia to Gaboon. The male of this species is a very handsome animal, standing about 
43 inches at the withers, and is a bright chestnut-red in general colour, with a white spinal 
stripe extending from the withers to the root of the tail, and fourteen or fifteen white stripes 
on the shoulders, flanks, and hindquarters. The ears are large and rounded, and the horns very 
massive, and about 30 inches in length, measured over the single spiral twist. There are two ot 




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GERENUK 

ji gasuilc'liki antelope witk long neck and legs^ tnhabiting North-east Africa